This luxurious yet introspective workplace designed by PR Design Group in Bengaluru looks inward into nature
JUL 16, 2024
| By Namrata Dewanjee
The facade reinterprets vernacular brick masonry through Nuvocotto’s brick cladding. The concrete datum adds visual weight and separates the ground plane from the superstructure; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam; Styling by Kunal Prathap
Each space in the office is subsumed in daylight including the lounge starring Phantom Hands chairs and B&B Italia sofa; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
The Alkom door system provides a layer of privacy during discussions and deep work. The flooring is from Luxur Interior; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
The cabin sports a Cercle chair, Downtown chairs and a desk by Poltrona Frau; In the conference room, a bespoke ceiling adds visual interest against the cement textured wall finish by Asian Paints; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
In the lounge, the owner’s collected works of art occupy the walls; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
In the conference room, a bespoke ceiling adds visual interest against the cement textured wall finish by Asian Paints; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
View into one of the workstations from the courtyard; Photography by Gokul Raoo Kadam
From hosting the dot-com boom to housing co-working spaces and high-rises packed to the brim with multinational corporations, Bengaluru has seen it all. However, in this city of entrepreneurs, how does a company stand out and tell its story through design? In a brick-clad Koramangala office, the architects at PR Design Group turn inwards in search of a solution. The five-storey workspace houses landscaped decks and courtyards, channelling ventilation and offering necessary pockets of verdure.
Designed around the idea of a luxurious human experience, partners R Ramraj and Pritvi Rao explain the approach behind the design of the lower levels, “There are large double height spaces and landscaped courtyards with the workstations having access to them visually and physically. All workstations were adjustable in height. So, if a person wants to stand and use it for an hour, they can do so. Or sit on a high stool. They have all these options!”
On the upper levels, the idea of luxury morphs, heightening aesthetics and adopting a more indulgent material palette. Adding layers of material interest, marble, onyx and quartzite grace the surfaces. The space boasts multiple works of art from the owner’s private collection. When it comes to furniture, the language is just as eclectic, varying from sleek modern silhouettes to period collectables. Crowned by exquisite chandeliers, the workspace could fit right into a fantasy novel!
“The upper levels resonate with the image of the company and the lower levels focus more on user sustainability,” state the designers. However, the loftiest form of indulgence in a cacophonous metropolis is the central double-height tropical landscaped courtyard with its own rain and mist feature. The visuals would take any seasoned resident to a saccharine slogan from the early 2000s plastered across Bengaluru, “City of gardens, lakes, opportunities, empowerment & champions.” Perhaps it is nostalgia and romanticism, but who could have guessed that in the next two decades, these two distinct identities of tech-city and garden-city could converge under one roof?