A club that colours us intrigued!

At Bengaluru’s Piccadilly Club, Studio Lotus and StoryStudio find logic in instinct and structure in play

18 Oct 2025

Why are architects so afraid of colour? Maybe it’s because it can’t be rationalised. It is too instinctive, too unruly. But at the Piccadilly Club in Bengaluru, Studio Lotus with StoryStudio decided to risk it.

The 15,000 sq ft clubhouse sits inside Goyal & Co.’s Orchid Piccadilly residential complex. Having already built the Fields Club for the same developer, the design team knew the brief well. “The intent for the second project was to firmly establish their brand promise by converting it into a repeating experience yet clearly distinguished from the first, both visually and in flavour,” they explain. The challenge was creating a leisure hub for families of every age group without making it feel predictable.

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Studio Lotus took charge at the sanction stage, before a single brick was laid. “This allowed for comprehensive structural changes in the main atrium, the façade, and also in the creation of a programme that makes efficient use of the overall footprint,” says Ankur Choksi, Co-Founding Principal at Studio Lotus.

That decision reshaped everything. “Hollowing out the core gave us a vertical expanse to play with,” he tells us. What emerged was a dramatic four-storey atrium tied together by a steel staircase and a vibrant mural. Two elements that became narrative and programmatic anchors, stitching together circulation, visibility and engagement across levels. As the staircase weaves through the volume, bridges and mezzanines branch off into zones for play, rest, and conversation. Openings in the mural wall allow glimpses from one level to another, turning movement into performance.

SHADES AT PLAY

Ankur explains, “The colour palette is bold yet warm, with solid-core Valchromat wood panels forming the pixelated mural that spans all floors, injecting colour into the otherwise industrial shell.” Around it, an earthy mix of concrete, brick, and stone sets the tone. “An earthy palette of robust, cost-effective, and low-maintenance materials such as concrete, brick, and stone maintains a contrast between the stark shell and distinct stylistic interventions that are part of the design scheme,” he adds.

Cane and wickerwork furniture, diffused lamps, and artworks by Indian illustrators keep the club from feeling rigid. Downstairs, the amphitheatre turns the idea of a basement on its head. “Instead of a tucked-away utility zone, it’s an expansive, sunken court designed entirely in exposed brickwork that allowed us to eliminate expensive carpentry and layering,” Ankur says.

In a world of greys and grids, the Piccadilly Club feels like a deep breath of pigment. Structure meets spirit, and neither has to apologise for showing up bold. It’s proof that architecture can loosen its tie once in a while, and still hold its structure together.