Design Matrix Mar-Arp 2011 issue

MAR-APR 2011 • DESIGN MATRIX 1A presenta

PEOPLE • L I FESTYLE • DES IGN • INTER IORS

March - April 2011

VOL. 1 • ISSUE 3 • `80

M A T R I X

DESIG

N M

ATR

IX • M

AR

CH

-AP

RIL 2

01

1A

Paprika M

edia p

resentatio

n

2 DESIGN MATRIX • MAR-APR 2011

��

��

��

��ign displayed above is 401/230 Copper Rings

��

��

��

For catalogue or enquiry, please contact us with 'Magazine Name' as the subject

1/52, W.H.S. Kirti Nagar, New Delhi-110015. Ph.: 45536715, 45536756, 45597875, 32532719, Mob.: (0) 9717597366,

Fax: 41755165, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.venturaindia.com

VENTURA INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

��

USAGERMANY

From

��

��

�� !� "��# $�� %

&��# '()�

MAR-APR 2011 • DESIGN MATRIX 3


Publisher : Karan Jhunjhunwala

Managing Director : Manohar Jhunjhunwala

Editor-In-Chief : Babita Krishnan

[email protected]

EDITORIAL

Content Editor : Savitha Hira

[email protected]

Manager : Chetna Chakravarthy

Writers : Tanya Siqueira, Varun Godinho,

Trainee Writers : Sharanya Subramaniyan,

Sheena D’Lima

Brand & Strategy Manager : Riddhi Walia

Finance Controller : Manjari Ved

Head-Administration : Maria Fernandes

BUSINESS ENQUIRY

WEST : Vijay Chauhan

[email protected]

EAST : Vishal Shroff

[email protected]

NORTH : Ashok Bajaj

[email protected]

SOUTH : Abhishek P. Agrawal

[email protected]

Nallari Rupana Reddy

[email protected]

Sheetal Jain

[email protected]

T. Jayakrishnan

[email protected]

OVERSEAS ENQUIRY

UAE : Prem Mishra

[email protected]

USA : Kishore Dadlaney

[email protected]

UK : Jayendra Ved

[email protected]

Subscription : Shalini Sawant

[email protected]

ART

Art Director : Rahul Das

Designing : Devang H Makwana, Brijesh Gajjar,

Chittaranjan Modhave

Digital Imaging : Devang H Makwana

Production : Harish Suvarna, Mangesh Salvi,

Sandeep Borkar

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM

Project Manager : Vishwanath Shanbhag

[email protected]

Vice President : Neelam Kapoor

[email protected]

Chairperson : Smiti Kanodia

[email protected]

Published by Karan Jhunjhunwala on behalf of MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., 201 Shyam

Kamal ‘C’ Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai 400 057, India And Printed At

Print House India Pvt. Ltd., 6 Datta Mandir Road, Bhandup (W), Mumbai 400 078, India.

A & venture

DESIGNM A T R I X




N O T EEDITOR’SWhen I think of my fi rst meeting with this handsome couple, I recall one

aspect very vividly – enthusiasm and unshackled creativity. Having closely

watched Kalhan & Santha grow as professionals, I felt they were an ideal

choice for the cover – their repertoire is a case study in itself. What really came across

during the interview was how Planet 3 Studios is all about team-bonding, honesty

and the joy of expressing themselves.

Our editorial team also enjoys being themselves and that usually means someone

at the receiving end of our pranks! This time it was the design team (all guys!), who

turned red, much to our amusement, when they saw the images for Musings, which

I mustn’t reveal, and let you discover for yourself along with the myriad design forms

held within the pages!

I must add that our debut on the stands was a resounding success. My meeting

with many people last month began with, “Oh, I bought this issue from so-and-so

place,” or “I saw it at such-and-such place.” To say that I have been walking like a

proud mom would be an understatement, but I have to thank all of you who have

made this possible.

I hope you have as much fun reading the issue as we had putting it together.

Send us your feedback, who knows you just might end up winning a special gift

from Dreams Furnishing!

So long till the next issue!

Babita Krishnan

Issue Partners: Location: Le Sutra; Jewellery: Anmol Jewellers; Make-up & Hair: Rudra Spa




CONTENTS


60

16

72

3098

ARTY-TECHTUREWe celebrate Woman’s Day in the Shringar

Room at Le Sutra. Pg 66

CONVERSATIONSVeteran makeup artist Ram Tipnis walks

down memory lane with ingenuous in-

sights into the art of makeup. Pg 72

GREEN SPOTBengaluru-based Rainbow Drive Layout’s

eff orts towards water sustainability. Pg 80

PHOTO FEATUREMake food more alluring, get creative on

the platter. Pg 86

TECH DIARYA low down on the Operating Systems of

your mobile phone. Pg 96

MY SPACEBela Shanghvi’s insight into a sustainable

approach to traditional skills & crafts. Pg 98

DESIGN ASPECTSRediscover FLIP – the design symbol of the

21st century. Pg 102

PRODUCT LAUNCHAll the news from the market. Pg 107

ETCETERAInformation & news from the design fi eld:

Happenings, Organic Book Binding, Tech

Review, Book Review, Website Review &

Events. Pg 113

COVER STORYSantha & Kalhan Mattoo on what make

Planet 3 Studio a fi rm to reckon with. Pg 16

AR. AAMCHERAr. Aamcher accompanies Ar. Vikas Dilawari

to Kotachiwadi in Mumbai. Pg 32

MUSINGSWe trace the changing face of lingerie de-

sign in India with Suman Nathwani. Pg 33

RESIDENTIAL DESIGNAkruti Designs transforms a decrepit home

into a luxurious den in South Mumbai.

Pg 40

CREATIVE IDEASmab architects create a recreational space

atop a fl at roof in Athens. Pg 54

LEISURE DESIGNClub Mojo designed by Keer Designs Group

in Colombo. Pg 58

• Cover featuring: Santha & Kalhan Mattoo • Photograph by: Prashant Bhat • Hair & Make-up by: Anne Bharati Subba, courtesy Rudra Spa • Location: Le Sutra, Mumbai

60 DESIGN MATRIX • MAR-A

74 DESIGN MATRIX • MAR-APR 2011 MAR-APR 2011 • DESIGN MATRIX 75

Anuja Ghosalkar is programme officer at India Foundation for the Arts,

Bangalore and Mr. Ram Tipnis’ grand-daughter. To read more on Ram

Tipnis check out Anuja’s blog: www.papaajoba.blogspot.com


This issue onwards you have the chance to win a special gift courtesy

We would love to have your views, comments and/or suggestions on what you would like to see or read in our pages.

Please email to: [email protected] or write to Design Matrix, MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., C-201 Shyam Kamal

Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai-400 057 or Call on 022-26187132.

“I like to open the doors to people’s brain”

A presentation

PEOPLE • L I FESTYLE • DES IGN • INTER IORS

Jan - Feb 2011

VOL. 1 • ISSUE 2 • `80

M A T R I X


As people say change is essential in life, I

would like to congratulate you on this venture

and even wish you and your team the best.

Through your innaugural issue, it was good

to know more about Mrs. Brinda Somaya as

I have always been an admirer of her work.

Reading about the step wells took me back to

college when we did a case study on them. I

also found multi-form plateau and eco pods

interesting reads. I just hope that the maga-

zine does not become an advertisement di-

rectory with less of content, though I under-

stand that it is a necessity. I am sure it will be

handled perfectly..

Alpesh Haria,

Zaha Spaces, Mumbai

Congratulations on the second issue of Design

Matrix. I want to congratulate you for this won-

derful enterprise. The magazine completely

held my attention through to the last page. I

am positive that the magazine displays truly

international standards and will soon be rec-

ognized as a bible for the design world. Clean

lines and crisp writing has only enhanced the

features. I loved each photograph and the way

it was presented. Though the cover story on

Phillipe Strack was done by many magazines,

in Design Matrix I did not only understand YOO

Design, but also got to know the people be-

hind it. I really like the language which is not

too technical hence easy to understand. The

magazine has the right blend of work and fun.

Neha Madaan,

Durian Industries Ltd., Mumbai

I am very happy with the way my project has

been featured in the second edition. I also

liked the way the international projects have

been covered. It feels great to share space with

a great designer like Philippe Starck. I wish all

of you the very best and looking forward to

some more great people and projects in the

future issues of Design Matrix.

Ar. Naresh Shah,

Naresh Shah & Associates, Mumbai

wFirst of all I would like to congratulate you on

the fi rst issue of Design Matrix and more on the

commendable piece of editorial. I especially

like the interesting bits of information that

you give in the magazine though I would like

better images. For example, the Kinect from

X-Box is such an amazing application and I say

this because I have it but the pictures don’t say

much about how interesting or exciting it is. It

is the best thing I have played in a long time.

We could also do with some more information

on what’s new in the market. Rest everything

is great, Keep on the good work.

Sheetal Jain,

Uniply Industries Limited, Chennai

Thanks for sharing the issues of Design Ma-

trix. The format is positively diff erent and the

variation makes interesting reading. I espe-

cially liked the photo features. Since design is

visual, your presentations surely catch the eye.

Wishing you all the very best for the new chal-

lenges.

Ar. Rajeev Sathe,

Mumbai

Design has come alive with this issue. Good

work, lots of potential and a great future. All

the best to the entire Design Matrix team.

Ramesh Iyer,

Gaiaka Mediaworks, Mumbai INB

OX

WINNER





They have built a formidable reputation within the fraternity. The young and dynamic duo – Kalhan & Santha Mattoo

– is as vibrant in their attitude as in their projects.

Words: Babita Krishnan; Images: Prashant Bhat

GETHERTWO

Babita Krishnan: The fi rst question is to both of you. Was architec-

ture always your ambition?

Kalhan Mattoo: When I was in the 7th or 8th standard, I had a clear

interest in architecture. There are three reasons for that: fi rstly, I was

a little creative and used to draw a lot and knew that I had to follow

something creative for a living. But I come from an academically-

inclined middle class family (both my parents are professors). Had

I told them that I wanted to become an artist, they would have

thrown a fi t. Secondly, I never scored high marks that could get me

into any top engineering college. Also it was not of my interest, so

architecture fi tted the bill perfectly. Thirdly and most importantly,

at a very impressionable age I saw the movie In Which Annie Gives It

Those Ones. The whole mood of the movie was seductive and I liked

that. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that it was SPA Delhi; I thought it

was JJ and landed in Mumbai! So, architecture was interesting, to

my liking and a profession – it fi t all the requirements.

Santha Mattoo: In my case, it was my dad’s idea. He is a civil

engineer.

KM: …she got into medicine as well, but opted for architecture.

SM: Because I was destined to meet you (smiles).

BK: So, you met in college?

SM: After ten years of marriage, discussing this is very embarrass-

ing…

KM: Yes, we’ve been together since college. First as friends, then

as professional partners when we established Planet 3 Studios and

then – life partners. It is a 20-years-young relationship.

BK: So, how do the design sensibilities come together? Since you

work closely, both personally and professionally, do the diff erences

hinder creativity?

KM: Actually, it is not about the two of us agreeing, it is more

about all of us agreeing to whatever is being created. For us

design is about collaborating. All of us together ideate and

everything is discussed. Everyone contributes and the best pro-

posal thus created is taken forward. Though most of the time it

ends up being our basic idea, sometimes these kids also come

up with wonderful ideas. But, between the two of us there never

is an issue, as all decisions are taken collectively.

SM: I don’t remember any major confl ict. It is never his idea vs

mine…

BK: How big is the Planet 3 Studios team?

KM: We have a team of about 35 people working on diff erent

projects across the country.

BK: Santha, professionally, you have a large team and husband as

a colleague – it’s perfect. But now, as a mother with a small baby,

how do you balance the two?

SM: Ho jata hai. I have never planned anything, never followed a

time table. And Kalhan has always helped.

KM: We’ve been fortunate that there are a lot of people around

to help. But on a daily basis, I keep the baby engaged in the

morning. That gives me about an-hour-and-a-half with him and

by then half the things are done. Also, when he comes to offi ce,

he gets the same real estate as I do – baby zone is as large as

my cabin… there is always someone to look after babies in the

offi ce. All babies are welcome.

SM: It is good that we get him to work (a privilege that is enjoyed

by everyone in the offi ce) and continue working. I’m sure a lot of

people have to really plan their schedules, mornings, etc. with

the baby in mind, we feel truly blessed in that respect.


BK: You have a very young team. Is this a deliberate step, since

your projects refl ect a very diff erent approach?

KM: We want our work to remain consistently fresh. 20 years

hence, we would want to win the young designers award once

again (laughs). But seriously, it is all about being dynamic and

constantly reinventing yourself. The average age around here

is about 25 to 30 years and the associates take their tone from

the guys at the top. If you are solemn about work all the time,

working in a structured environment, they, too, would work like

that and their age would only be incidental.

SM: When some of the guys joined the Studio, they came in ties

and then realized that though this is an offi ce, they were the

only ones dressed that way.

KM: We have never looked at any fi rm as a role model for our

offi ce. We just created an environment that we were comfort-

able in – like the crib, no dress code, everyone able to speak

their mind, etc.

BK: But where did all this begin? I mean, your internship, train-

ing, before Planet 3 became a reality?

KM: Oh, that was only for a few months. Though it could sound

very interesting as a story of how we struggled and started our

own thing, the fact is that when we graduated in ‘96, the mar-

ket crashed and there were no jobs. In order to survive, we did

some very low-paying assignments. We established Planet 3 in

’98.

BK: I recall our very fi rst meeting many years ago when you had

shown me the renderings of Vidyalankar project. How did you

break ice with the clients and convince them for such a maverick

design for an educational institution?

KM: For this we need to look beyond the question. Let me

explain something about us. Most people have their academics

fairly predictable – they know what needs to be done to work

towards their degree. For us, actually, just me, since Santha was

a bit better in studies; I fl unked each and every architecture and

design paper from my fourth to tenth semester. So I learnt to

internalize the whole thing about how my designs were not

received out there. And once in the fi eld, I became more prag-

matic, kind-of let loose and did my own thing.

SM: We went into the presentation with the approach that the

worst that could happen was that we won’t get the project. But

not only did we get it, it has become like a benchmark. And that

doesn’t mean post Vidyalankar, things have been easy for us. It

created a kind of image that we are these funky architects and

we had to convince people otherwise. It gave us the reputation,

but didn’t get us work. In fact, we got the next architectural

project 3-4 years after that.

KM: We had to convince people that a design is governed by

requirements, so no two projects will be similar. Now people

understand this and it is easier. A case in point is this developer

we are working with, who clearly said that he wants to work

only with us because he doesn’t need to work with diff erent

architects to achieve diff erent looks. For long, people didn’t

understand that we had a large repertoire of work.

BK: Now fresh graduates want to join you, as your achievements

have become aspirational. Do you think it could be a trap that

they might fall into – of idealising your work?

KM: I have an issue with the fact that one needs to idolize some-

one else. What we are doing is unique to us. 99% of the work

in India is not design intensive and that is painfully boring. But

if it works for you and you can fi nd a market for it, then well

and good.

SM: Maybe it was destiny, luck… being at the right place at the

right time and fi nding the right people. Even we could have

fallen into the same trap. We never idolized anyone and have

done what we are comfortable with. You just have to be true to

yourself; then there is a greater chance of success.

BK: Therefore, did the absence of infl uences and idols and/or a

formal training with a fi rm actually help you develop your own

style?

KM: I don’t think it would have mattered as working with some-

one can infl uence you only up to a limit. There is no formula to

our work.

BK: How much does work intrude on your private space – at

home or with friends?

SM: Only in case of emergencies does work get carried home –

not otherwise. He doesn’t like it and if I pick it up, “offi ce ki baat

offi ce main karenge” is the response I get.

KM: I like to do things intensively in small spurts. If work is inten-

sive at that point then I’d rather stay in offi ce to fi nish it and then

go home, but prefer not to carry it home. We both like to read a

lot; that is one of our hobbies.

BK: There is a very involved work environment. What is the work

philosophy that you follow?

SM: Sometimes I feel we are running a design academy here,

because of the way we train our associates in every aspect of

design.

KM: That’s ok. Why shouldn’t we use them to their full potential

and give a client the benefi t of getting 3-4 design options.

SM: Yes. Sometimes great ideas come from the youngest per-

son in the team.

BK: So, how would you describe your designs?

SM: We don’t attempt to describe them; we just design. It may

not be very “safe” in terms of design (though we like to give that

option to our clients as well), we try to do diff erent things and

that works for us.






BK: When you say that, I am assuming your client is satisfi ed. So

how important does the client-designer relationship become in

the profession?

KM: The investment that goes into building this relationship is

phenomenal – the client is putting in a huge amount of mon-

ey, you are committing a huge amount of time and creativ-

ity to it. And many times these attempts fail from both sides.

When things click, it is special and if in your entire career span

you build 5-6 such permanent relationships, it is a precious

achievement. But one needs to be careful so as not to become

predictable.

BK: For example, any such learning experiences?

KM: The very fi rst project that we were working on was an inte-

riors project. Even after developing many concepts, this gentle-

man kept us hanging in.

SM: He kept on postponing the project with some or the other

excuse and we gave it up.

KM: Then he approached us again six years later for the same

thing. He had not approached anyone else and we did it, not for

the money but simply because it was our fi rst project. But we

have never fooled ourselves on one thing – the importance of

money. The relationships that we have built with individuals are

never at the cost of practicality. There was this client we worked

with for a couple of months and then it was time for our fi rst

payment. When I reached his offi ce at 11.00 AM, he was on his

way out and said that he would return by 6.00 PM and could give

me the money only on his return. So when he returns in the eve-

ning, he fi nds me patiently browsing magazines at the recep-

tion. “You must really need the money,” he said, to which my

simple reply was, “It is my money and I don’t mind waiting for it.”

SM: Whenever a project has come our way, we’ve never said no.

Let’s try it, has been our attitude. Each one has taught us some-

thing or the other.

KM: RPG Group is now a regular client, but the fi rst time we

worked with them was on a design-build (DB) small temporary

offi ce to accommodate 42 people in a budget of a-lakh-and-a-

half to be completed in 20 days. You can’t be faced with a bigger

challenge.

SM: DB has been a learning process. It was our fi rst design and

build project and we had no clue about so many things. But we

asked, learned and completed it in 18 days, we even slept on

site!

KM: When the manager saw us sleeping on the table and the

carpenter on the fl oor, he said that this is a great social equalizer;

and when we got our cheque, it was really hard earned money!

While some of our contemporaries were doing their masters in

the US, we were learning practical details on site. Not that the

design part was not of interest, this just seemed more real to us.

And that money at the beginning of our practice helped us go

a long way.

SM: No profession should be static, small beginnings have led us

to where we are today. There are so many things that one can do.

BK: What do you feel about the attitude of today’s generation of

architects and designers?

SM: The fault lies with this whole culture of ideologies. I’m sure

even we had it then and didn’t realize it. I remember us telling a

client to take back the cheque - that was attitude.

KM: Designers have always had an attitude. The kids look up to

some of the icons in the industry and listen to their anecdotes.

The symptoms of the creative process are taken as the attitude

that makes you creative. They think that unless you have attitude

you are not creative. I don’t think it is necessary. We are quite

chilled out. I don’t think you need any of those perceived trap-

pings to be creative.

BK: So what pointers would you give them to hone their skills

and make them better professionals?

KM: One must remember that while it is a creative fi eld, it is also

a profession where you work with others and clients. Secondly,

you have to demystify every opportunity. It is not about becom-

ing the next so-and-so, but about giving what the requirements

are. You need to have the right communication skills. Next, you

have to stay with your convictions, whatever they may be. Most

people tend to follow others, like spending lakhs for a Masters

from a foreign university, sometimes mortgaging their parent’s

homes. But no one stops to think further. This trend scares me

as I cannot understand the co-relation between architectural

success and a foreign Masters. Many of them later end up doing

stupid work that is a sad waste of talent. As a designer, you know

how good you are; fi nd your line of expertise.

SM: Glory is not in building only iconic structures. Everyone who

passes out of design school wants to become the next Zaha

Hadid or Charles Corea. I’m not discouraging that, but there

has to be some introspection about what you are good at, that

nobody can teach you, that has to come from within.

BK: And fi nally what do the two of you do after work?

SM: We are always out. We try not to miss any of the latest mov-

ies, we take the entire offi ce and go. We also love to go for a lot of

trekking and camping trips. Not only are they fun it is also a great

way to bond with your colleagues. We used to do this at least

twice a year but, it reduced due to my pregnancy.

KM: But we will restart now. Even in offi ce, post work we all

sometimes sit and have wine together.

SM: If someone is working late into the night, a break at about 8

in the evening is fi ne.

BK: Drinks in offi ce?

KM: Most people act very responsibly when they are given the

freedom


Glory is not in building only iconic structures. Everyone wants to become the next Zaha Hadid or Charles Corea. But there has to be some introspection about what you are good at, that nobody can teach you, that has to come from within




The art of translating a concept into a workable solution…with deft strokes of pro-

fessional expertise, peppered with a dash of conviction… is perhaps the secret

of success that Kalhan-Santha thrive on in their leadership of Planet 3 Studios.

Hand-picking a few from their diverse portfolio, we try to decode the mindset and

working philosophy of the duo as they sashay through life – ticking and fulfi lling, both

professionally and personally. Internationally recognized, their rapidly growing portfolio

comprises a range of eclectic projects that span institutional buildings, mixed use and

adaptive-reuse projects, housing complexes, corporate offi ces, retail outlets, hospitality

segment, furniture, industrial products….

‘Self-appraisal’ seems the foremost virtue of this team. Applying a candid evaluation

process to the success of their fi rst major institutional project – Vidyalankar Institute –

they reintroduced the student connect into a vibrant environment for the institute’s

35,000 sq. ft. bio-technology and life-sciences centre in 2008. Taking a cue from what

was best appreciated in their former eff ort; various design elements were incorporated

to corporeally image large student work displays, light sources and graffi ti strips, etc.

in the new structure. Whilst the new design borrows heavily from nature, it attempts

to reiterate the intended use via the graphic quality of most constructs: a staircase

with a railing evoking frayed, dried wheat stalk rendered in wood and steel; a meeting

room with a twist, game board near the entrance; strategically punctured roof with

skylights illuminating the interior corridors; ventilators as signage letters; etc. Amidst this

pandemonium of whimsy-in-the-eye, are diametrically placed symbolic lotus petals –

the seat of learning – and a few other such tongue-in-cheek discoveries that although a

trifl e blasé, bring the ‘aaha’ aspect into being!

and a touch of whimsy…PERCEPTION...Reviewing their projects of the last few years, one realizes how progressive design can impact the thinking-mind, without disrupting the inherent tenets of conventionality

Words: Savitha Hira Images: courtesy Planet 3 Studios


Establishing the fact that an evolution is possible in set building typologies,

and keeping pace with changing needs, Planet 3 Studios goes on to prove that

thinking-out-of-the-box can be as much a subtle exercise as a blatant one. In their

recent (2010) design of the reception, recreation and training areas at the RPG

group headquarters at CEAT Mahal, Mumbai, traditional Indian ethnic elements

of design and architecture blend with Grecian typologies in a contemporary

idiom. The recreation area, marking the ethos of an informal active relaxation as

the underlying narrative, is a contemporized interpretation of the Mykonos and

Santorini architecture. The design evokes the pristine white vernacular feel and

consistency of these Greek villages. Similarly, the reception area has a very distinct

character that syncretises modern planning and construction with local

architectural tradition, delivering on the expectations that the building

creates. Large parts of the space are left open and empty to receive art, and

the only built space is an air-conditioned lounge with a distinct Rajasthani

character. In absolute contrast and befi tting its intent, is the training centre,

which sports Spartan chic seriousness.“Communicating the progressive

ideas of the group gives the employees a sense of pride of ownership,”

says Santha.

A pride that they would like to evoke in the residents of Shirdi, where

they are furthering the social initiative of the Somaiya Group, by building a

science centre within the now derelict, original factory structure situated on


a 100-acre site. Awaiting its various mandatory approvals, the project poses

the challenge of maintaining historical continuity while building a modern

facility with a minimally invasive approach. Their proposed design retains

and extends the industrial art deco character of original structures while

newer additions in modern materials blend in via subtle design elements.

Within the confi nes of these structures, innovative technologies will be used

to create futuristic displays and cutting edge science experiments, creating

an experiential high among the users in this small town.

Using cutting-edge technology, the progressive architects have also

elicited a ‘wow’ response to the proposed design of their upcoming luxury

residential apartments in a Mumbai suburb. Inspired by Antonio Gaudi’s forms, and marrying

them with design details borrowed from traditional Indian architecture, the high-rise is

conceived as a modular construct of interlocking solid surface acrylic panels anchored to the

building frame, each thermoformed to create a fl uid, soft character for the cladding. Columns

of the same material, with a twisting fl uted detail in various sizes adorn the façade and together

with the thermoformed panels create a distinct character for the building. The cladding material

will reduce the building façade maintenance to a minimum… something Mumbai buildings

struggle with a lot on account of monsoons. Proposed as the fi rst fully steel-framed residential

building in India, integrating international infl uences, cutting-edge building technology and

innovative use of materials in a thoroughly contemporary context, the path-breaking nature of

this development is a bold attempt at rewriting the rules for such projects in India.


Pushing-the-envelope with design notions that challenge an established or conventional outlook is a trait that seems

to come naturally to the duo


Another feather in their cap is the dramatic, spiralling design of a new panoramic

resort in Karnala won through an invited competition. While local building codes restrict

the structure to ground-plus-one, the client requirement of an iconic property provides

the point of inspiration for this remarkable design. Radiating from a central core with luxury

hospitality services and suites on the upper level, fi ve arms extend into the landscape

with out-facing rooms on two fl oors. The building skin is engineered in horizontal louvers

to moderate harsh tropical sun; while the same louvers light up in subtle colours during

the night, suggesting magical lanterns that fl oat in air. The project is at take-off stage and

envisages a 5-year completion period.

But ‘time’ is truly the essence of life and living. Back in 2007, when Godrej had

announced a product design competition, Planet 3 Studios had deigned a modular

portable workstation. They won the best product award but the workstation remained

under production; until last month when Godrej rolled out the product after appropriate

and adequate R&D. Christened ‘Out-of-the-box’, the workstation is a literal rectangular box,

which opens up, much like a Swiss knife, to reveal two perfectly functioning workstations.

It takes no special skills and couple of minutes to install. The trick really, is in using the

surface of the box as a jigsaw arrangement of components that unfold in a logical and

sequential manner. Packed within is the requisite paraphernalia down to the smallest detail

of necessary cabling. The portable box is mounted on lockable castors and can be shut

with the same ease when not in use. The concept encourages multi-use space design by

its mobility, while its compactness opens it up to alternate uses.

With the focus always on context, the constraints and the opportunities that a project

presents, the incisive vocabulary of the space and the project per se communicates with

the architects to evolve into a solution that balances wit with wisdom, keeping it fresh in

visual appeal


Ar. Aamcher

VANISHING HERITAGE

Although Mumbai is well known globally for its Gothic

Revival ensemble of public buildings and Art Deco

residential districts like the Queen’s Necklace, several areas

like the Banganga precinct, Kotachiwadi, Matharpakdi, and Bandra

village, to name a few, that identify with the socio-economic and

cultural patterns of the city and are symbolic of local distinctiveness,

are fast vanishing.

It is pitiable to see areas like the Santacruz Catholic Colony and

Kotachiwadi in a dilapidated condition, where buildings in a pre-

dominantly repairable condition are being neglected and instead

pitched for redevelopment.

It is indeed a shame and a sham to simply observe that the gov-

ernment, instead of addressing the core issue of Rent Control Act,

which many states have diluted or repealed, has provided no incen-

tives to see that heritage buildings can be protected and repaired.

On the contrary, the government has introduced Section 33 (7) that

encourages demolition and off ers larger FSI for reconstruction. This

may be true for the really decrepit buildings but this is being grossly

misused for heritage buildings in repairable conditions. Even build-

ings worthy of being Heritage Buildings fall under the threat of

redevelopment as there is no legislative protection. Certain areas of

Girgaum are already undergoing transformation.

Special development laws are needed for redevelopment that

acknowledge and address the character of the place and socio-

cultural values that are integral to the built form and its distinctive

character. A good progressive nation/city is one where heritage

and development go hand-in-hand

To share more such designs or experiences, positive or

negative, contact Ar. Aamcher at [email protected]

Conservation Architect Vikas Dilawari on his drive around the Mumbai metropolis with Ar. Aamcher is saddened at the insensitive management of heritage structures.


Musings



A TALE OF

Words: Sheena D’Lima Images: courtesy the designer

Picture this: it is late 1980’s Calcutta and a 17-year-old girl is accompanying a

soon-to-be-married elder cousin on a lingerie shopping spree. The young

girl, fortifi ed with a knowledge born of several Mills and Boon romance

novels, boldly demands to have a look at the “lace negligees” and “baby dolls” on

stock, much to the consternation of several shy shop owners. That little slip of a

girl, Suman Nathwani, grew to be India’s First Lady of Lingerie and Loungewear

design. “Everyone, including my cousin was amazed at my knowledge and the

shocking words that I was throwing around,” Nathwani recalls. The feisty school-

girl ended up designing her cousin’s wedding lingerie herself, even getting it

stitched by the family tailor, much to her conservative parents’ dismay. That story

defi nitely had a happy ending though. “My cousin loved my work. Those were my

fi rst designs, done in cut-work style,” she says. “That’s when I decided to choose

lingerie design as my career.”

Suman Nathwani talks about her unique journey as India’s first

lingerie designer.

&Satin Lace




Still, if she thought that making this tal-

ent her profession was going to be as easy

as using provocative words from a Marks

and Spencer store, she had another think

coming. “The fi rst six months were the

most diffi cult,” she recalls, talking about

how she wrestled with the condescending

toleration and mild disapproval of the tra-

ditional circles in which her family moved.

“Still, word went around that I was really

good at designing comfortable lingerie

and lightweight sleepwear and I started

getting orders from friends and even fam-

ily. Six months later, I was ready to start my

own factory.”

From there began a steep uphill climb

but the journey just got better as she went

along. With her trademark cut-work and

light, fl owing designs in sweet fl oral prints,

Nathwani carved a

niche for herself in the

minds of women who

wanted more than

what store-bought lin-

gerie could give them.

Her ability to deliver just

what her customer had in

mind, ensured that they kept

coming back for more and soon she had

expanded her business base: begun de-

signing sleepwear for men and earned her

fi rst runway spot (1991).

Now Nathwani overlooks a workforce

that easily exceeds 200 tailors and crafts-

men, with four workshops both in Kolkata

and rural Bengal. “I am truly blessed to have

loyal artisans, who have worked with me

for over 22 years and who know the stan-

dards that my designs have,” she says. She

designs for fashion outlets and also makes

custom-designed lingerie for weddings

and honeymoons. The inspiration for most

of her designs comes from a lot of research

of what works for the Indian woman. “I

design for Indians and I try to cater to

that sensibility – be it in the colour, fabric

or design. For example, while European

women love pastel shades and are partial

to satins in off -white and white, those co-

lours are a no-no for an Indian bride who

prefers bright colours. While I may include

shades like white in a honeymoon collec-

tion, I would never choose white for wed-

ding night lingerie.” Nathwani’s personal

favourite is purple, a shade she describes

as “very in.” As for the material she uses,

quality, she says, is everything. “I buy my

materials abroad because the satin manu-

factured in India is of a slightly inferior qual-

ity,” she says.

Though the high from striking gold,

both literally and metaphorically, has been

thrilling enough, Nathwani is equally excit-

ed at the change in the attitude of women

through the years. “Six years ago, I would

describe the attitude of the average Indian

woman as passionate but shy. Nowadays,

she’s exposed to international

trends; she’s aware of brands

and has become much

bolder.” A good exam-

ple of this change in

mindsets is the change

in shopping com-

panions. “First women

used to shop with their

mothers. That changed to

sisters-in-law, and then to fe-

male friends. Now they shop with

their fi ancés,” she laughs.

Suman Nathwani’s story is not unlike

those of great explorers who discover un-

charted territory and claim it for their own.

Her sense of humour, determination and

incredible eye for detail, quality and design

has ensured that from now on, her path will

be forever strewn with satin and edged in

lace. Whoever said that reading romances

could come to no good?



Residentialdesign




The Aakruti design team from

Mumbai scoured a double

whammy by revitalizing an

almost decrepit home in South

Mumbai and translating it into

a luxurious den.

Words: Varun Godinho

Images: Indrajit Sathe,

courtesy Aakruti Designs

Luxury second

none

It isn’t everyday that an interior

designer receives a carte blanche

from his client, telling him to “do as

you please.” While Chetan Shah, Ashok

Mewada and Sanjay Sheth from Mumbai-

based Aakruti designs were elated with

this offer, they knew that they had to raise

their hitherto set bar of excellence. Their

client for this project was Hitesh Jobalia,

the promoter and managing director of

Max Flex & Imaging Systems Limited, who

had recently purchased a large 2,200 sq.

ft. pad on Napean Sea Road that could

well pass off as India’s answer to London’s

Billionaire’s Row.

The 22-year-old apartment was in a

state of near ruin. But Jobalia envisaged

that the property would transform into a

luxurious abode under the expert team of

Aakruti Designs.

Starting out with this confidence

of the client and the knowledge that

geographical boundaries and budgets

were factors that did not restrain them,

Shah, Mewada and Sheth set out to give

Jobalia the best from around the world

in keeping with his expectations. The

flooring is done up in Satvario marble,

also known as statuary marble, which is

a highly polished white marble with rare

veins and imported from the quarries

of Carrara, Italy. From China, they have

borrowed the idea of installing a large

SICIS hand-crafted glass mosaic in the hall

that has a floral pattern. “Although Jobalia

initially wanted the house to be done up


in cream and gold, we convinced him to

go with white, which would serve the dual

purpose of delivering an uber-luxurious

feel and also of creating the impression

of ample space within the house,” says

Shah. The Ligne Roset signature lemon

green sofa set with gatherings and

pleated fabric is sourced from Dubai. “As

we sifted through the different options,

it was quite a task to decide on any one

particular item as opposed to the next.

Each time Jobalia saw something he liked,

we needed to evaluate whether it was

the best that we could source and then

advise him accordingly,” he continues.

Each part of the home is a marvel

in itself. The living and dining rooms are

fitted with bare minimum furniture, while

the false ceiling conceals mood lights.

There were initially three bedrooms in

the flat that Jobalia asked to be reduced

to two – one for him and his wife, the

other for his son. “While other people ask

for two bedrooms to be converted into

three, I went the other way and asked that

the space from the three bedrooms be

converted into two large bedrooms,” says

Jobalia. His bedroom has been cleverly

designed with a DuPont Corian wall that

camouflages the entrance to a walk-in

wardrobe. The bathing room and a smaller

reading room that serves as his private

get-away. The bathroom is not excluded

from the opulence and grandeur of the

rest of the home. Top-of-the-line material

including a wall made from white onyx has

been especially designed by the Aakruti

team. There is even a chandelier in the

bathroom to add to the defining touch

of elegance. In his son Karan’s bathroom,

the overhead shower panel is fitted with

LED lights to serve as a therapeutic light

massage shower. The wardrobes have

sliding doors that are made of white

back-painted glass. For the kitchen, the

team has been instructed by Jobalia’s

wife, Dipti, to keep the design extremely

clutter-free. The cabinets are fitted with

two-way storage compartments, Corian

top counters with appliances from

Siemens and a wine-red finish to the wall




gives the kitchen a sleek finish. The entire

house and all its appliances are controlled

by an automated system from Schneider

Electric.

Major structural repairs have been

undertaken across the entire flat prior

to any of the interior designing work.

With almost a year of repairs, sourcing

and designing, the project has evolved

as planned, a little over a month ago.

Working in South Mumbai came with

its fair share of problems too. “We had

to adhere to a 30-page manual on the

society guidelines and were careful to

follow every norm while the work was in

progress. We generally do not contend

with such issues while working in the

suburbs of Mumbai, where every other

building in the neighbourhood has

construction work underway,” informs

Sheth. The Aakruti design team has

outdone themselves and Jobalia and his

family are thrilled with the look and feel of

their new home. Shah reaffirms that it has

been a privilege to work on projects such

as these and on international ones too,

including a row-house interior designing

project in Hong Kong two years ago

“The 22-year-old apartment was in a state of near ruin. But Jobalia envisaged that the property would transform into a luxurious abode under the expert team of Aakruti Designs.”



www.lesutra.inJoin us on http://www.facebook.com/lesutra

14 Union Park, Khar(W), Mumbai-400 052. India # 91 22 2649 2995/7

le Sutra , the Indian art hotel was awarded “India’s Most Unique Hotel” at the Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards (IHEA) held at Hotel Westin, Mumbai on January 15, 2011.

It’s unique conceptualization is based on Indian philosophy and the implementation encom-passes the thoughts and works of artists, sculptors, designers, visu-alisers, stylists and coordinators coming under the banner of Dr.Art+Design, a sister concern of Le Sutra.

It’s an accolade we would like to share with you and appreciate the labour of love, uniquely brought to reality in hospitality terra firma.

Mitali Bajaj



Leonardo Arts was started in 2001 as an attempt to blend art and affo rdability, without compromising o n

aesthetics

We offer end to end high quality art solutions on a variety of media (including acid free canvas) that suit

different environments and design ideas.

The versatile nature of our prints has made it possible to use them for everythin g from limited edition art

prints to individual custom portraits.

Some of our clients include:

Hyatt Regency, Kolkata Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad

Hyatt Regency, Mumbai Patni Computers, Mumbai

Hyatt Regency, Pune Ginger Hotels

Taj Holiday Village, Goa Mahindra Holiday Resorts

Aditya Vikram Birla Hospital, Pune Bombay Dyeing, Mumbai

Grand Hyatt, Mumbai TCS, Thane

Grand Hyatt, Goa Talwalkars

Please give us a call to see what we could do for you!

Leonardo Arts Pvt. Ltd.

B/18 A, Ghatkopar Industrial Estate,

LBS Marg, Behind R-City,

Ghatkopar (W) Mumbai 400086 Tel: +91 22 6796 9078 / 79

Email: [email protected]


AdDurian Doors


Words: Savitha Hira; Images: mab architects

ROOFESCAPESmab architects create a warm and inhabitable recreational space atop a flat roof in Athens, making a significant difference to the bio climate of the city, and the perception of its inhabitants.


Creativeideas


“In a city where the building stock is low-rise and with fl at roofs, the latter represent a wonderful opportunity to be planted and utilized as recreational spaces.”

Melissia is a considerably green,

middle-class district in the

northern part of Athens, in

Greece. Located at the foothills of mount

Penteli, its advantageous raised position

provides beautiful panoramic vistas over

the city of Athens and the Saronic Gulf

in the distance. Finding a home atop a

small four-storey housing block with the

exclusive right to use the fl at roof as a

private terrace was like a dream fulfi lled

for a young couple looking to set up

home independently. Off ering almost 360

degree views of the entire city, the terrace

was to be revamped into an intimate area

for the couple and a place where they

could hang out with their friends, organize

parties, etc. All of this had to be achieved

on a tight budget!

Enter architects mab - Rena Marioli,

Franky Antimisiaris and Branko M. Berlic,

with their fundamental simplicity and

logical clarity through an everyday think-

ing and working process. Understanding

the social, cultural, climatic and urban

context based on the consideration of the

programme and the client’s needs, they de-

rived an indigenous wooden wrap with Iro-

ko hardwood boards of standard dimension

– 12cm wide and 2cm thick – that wraps

around the surface of the fl oor, folds and

wraps the wall, where the wall becomes a

table or a bench, and a bench becomes a

bed or a planter etc., creating a luxurious

tableau, virtually in the sky!

The main idea behind this monologu-

ise vocabulary is to accomplish the design

and create a luxuriant ambiance by mini-

mizing the variety of materials applied and

consequently limiting the variety of trades

used in the construction process. Work-

ing on a tight budget, everything is built

within this module to control the off -cuts.

Unsightly chimneys are for fi re-protection

reasons wrapped with metal sections of

the same dimensions. All furniture is built-

in, except two benches on wheels, which

can be moved around freely. All planting

is indigenous and sourced locally from the

Attica area.


With Athens having long hot summers,

the couple plans to use the revamped roof

terrace on a daily basis for 4-5 months of the

year. It has become a large open-air exten-

sion of their apartment below, where they

prepare their meals in an open-air kitchen,

dine, relax and entertain their friends, sun-

bathe… and a conveniently placed shower

provides the much-longed-for cooling on

hot summer days after lying in the sun.

Although the ‘roofescape’, as the ar-

chitects choose to call it, is a handsome

private open-area that is a definite en-

hancer to any middle-class home irrespec-

tive of its location, the design is driven by

deeper issues: the building, which was

just a few years old, had already devel-

oped problems with water-leaking on the

flat roof terrace. The existing terrace floor-

ing was of ceramic tiling and the most

cost effective waterproofing solution,

thus, was to pour polymer-type sealant

over the existing tile flooring. However,

this new membrane required protection;

so it was decided to install floating wood-

decking over the entire floor. This type of

floor provided the requisite protection

against physical damage and UV rays.

Furthermore, rain water can flow through

decking onto the new sealing layer, which

meant that there was no need to change

any existing floor falls and drainage out-

lets. In order to achieve a uniformed look

and to provide a feeling of luxury (on a

tight budget), it proved cost effective to

use the same material for all – floor and

wall claddings and furniture.

In the present day city of Athens, there

is a critical lack of open green and recre-

ational spaces. In a city, which has such an

advantageous location and mild climate, it

is almost impossible to fi nd that little patch

of green where a contemporary urban

dweller can relax and enjoy his time off . To-

day the city is characterized by locals and

visitors alike, as being an endless concrete

jungle, which spreads and fi lls every little

corner in the Attica basin.

Maybe this conversion has planted a

little seed in the area and possibly more uti-

lized and planted roofs will slowly appear.

Hopefully some of them would be public

Design

mabarchitects

Client

young couple

Location

Athens, Greece

Programme

75 sq. m. roof garden

Major materials

Iroko wood,

galvanized steel sections


Leisuredesign




Words: Sharanya S; Images: courtesy the architect

Revitalising the night life and party culture of Colombo is Club Mojo, designed by Keer Designs Group.

mojoDON’T LOSE YOUR



Abhijeet Keer could well be Batman.

Or a version of a design superhe-

ro, who swoops in, designs your

space exactly the way you want, makes it a

refl ection of your personality and fl ies away

into the vast blue sky. Keer is the perfect cli-

ent’s designer. “I don’t believe in leaving my

signature in everything I design. I’m not de-

signing for me; I’m designing for someone

else. So I like to keep their choice and their

needs in focus,” he says.

Keer Designs Group started in 2003 and

has an impressive line of hospitality proj-

ects including China Gate and Red Box in

Mumbai, InterContinental in Mauritius, and

several residential ones as well. Currently

working on a host of spas and restaurants,

he talks about the bright and shiny jewel in

his crown, Club Mojo, Colombo.

The nightlife and party culture in Co-

lombo began to be resuscitated post the

unrest and civil war in the country and Ho-

tel Taj Samudra decided to resurrect the

night club in their basement. The owners

Sanjay Punjabi and Tambi Fernando want-

ed their earmarked clubbing space to be

up and running again. Keer visited many

nightclubs in the city and reveals, “I had

“Walking into Club Mojo is almost like walking into a different world – a brighter,

more colourful, non-linear world.”


to design it so that even after reno-

vation, the other clubs wouldn’t be

able to match up to Club Mojo. I like

to be two steps ahead.” The drawings

were made in Mumbai with his team

– Swapna Hankare and Navneet Keer;

and three months later, Club Mojo

began with a bang.

Walking into Club Mojo is almost

like walking into a diff erent world–

a brighter, more colourful, non-

linear world.

The primary focus of Mojo is the

lighting – tables lit from the inside,

acrylic waves of light that make up

the bar, bubble lights that line the

wall, even an LED fl ower motif on

the ceiling that is almost the sig-

nature of Club Mojo. “Sometimes

clubs are so crowded that you can

see nothing ahead of you. But the

ceiling is defi nitely something you

would notice. When people take

pictures of their parties, they try

to include the motif, so that oth-

ers instantly know that the party

was at Club Mojo,” says Keer.

While the number of lights itself

is quite impressive, it is their stra-

tegic manoeuvring that is truly

amazing. All the lights, even the

ones on the tables, can be syn-

chronised to suit the music. The

entire lighting system can go from red to

blue to green depending on the kind of

sound the DJ is belting out.

Another striking feature is its curvilin-

ear forms. With a name like Mojo, it had to

be young and funky and have minimum

straight lines. This is clearly incorporated in

the curved seating area around the circular

dance fl oor, the arched staircase, and a bar

that has random lines of light refl ecting the

asymmetry of Club Mojo.

It is almost surprising to hear Keer list

the thoughts and little elements that went

into designing – giving us a little insight

into the multi-faceted roles that a design-

er has to play in modulating a project for

his client. Nightlife in Colombo only picks

up after midnight, so Keer thought up a

clever ruse to rake in the revenue in the

wee hours. A performance stage, complete

with a projector for live bands, screening

matches or movies was created. It is placed

for convenient viewing from wherever you

may be seated. There is even the provision

of a small hidden passageway and store

room that could double up as a green

room.

Hotel Taj Samudra is the offi cial hotel

for the ICC, and cricketers frequenting Mojo

created the need for a VIP lounge. A sepa-

rate level with its own bar has been made

that enables celebrities to view the entire

club without mingling with the crowd.

Keer even solves the problem

most women experience when enter-

ing clubs; that of where to park their

evening bags or hand-purses. Special

lockers with individual keys have been

provided for the womenfolk; and this

feature encourages them to enjoy a

carefree evening, dating and dancing.

While it is fairly obvious that the

lights, dance fl oor and split-levels are

the soul of Club Mojo, it is the minute

details that actually transform it into

a wanna-be-in space. The translu-

cent columns, the use of mirrors that

encourage frequent self-appraisals, ,

fabric on the walls and ceiling pan-

els that aid acoustics, laser lights

bouncing off a disco ball, waves on

the wall coupled with blue lighting

that give the upper lounge a sea-

like eff ect, simple fl oors that gleam

oh-so slightly, a deck behind the

curved sofas that accommodates

additional dancers and even the

ample standing space provided

near the bar... draw your atten-

tion to the old maxim – God is in

the details. An impeccable eye for

details and keen sense of light

and colour makes Club Mojo

stand out from a herd of generic

nightclubs and a must-hit on any

partygoer’s list


Words: Babita Krishnan Images: courtesy Le Sutra

Dressed in the symbols of beauty, the Shringar room at Le Sutra celebrates the woman.

STYLEADORNED IN

Shringar is the art of adornment, ro-

mance, culture, beauty and enjoy-

ment. Indian culture and philoso-

phy reveals that beauty being skin deep,

it is with shringar that a woman attracts a

man and his aura. Beauty is nothing without

grace and shringar is that delicate union of

beauty and grace.

The Shringar room represents the Ra-

jsic guna, which is the attribute driving one

to action. It is the force that creates desires

for acquiring new things, which leads one

to activity and expansiveness; it represents

vibrancy and passion, being vivacious and

stylish. The room had other design concepts

initially – one of them with the solah shringar

elements of an Indian bride. But the team felt

that they were all getting too literal, hence

moving away from the mood. “Seema Kohli’s

painting with the lady and peacock really

set the compass due north and from it was

born the room,” reveals Mitali Bajaj, Head, Dr.

Art+Design.

The room was done by Dr. Art + Design

under Mitali’s guidance. “We wanted to create

an installation of mirrors and thought it would

be the simplest of things. So we went on a

hunting spree to fi nd the old hand-held mir-

rors to give the classic touch. Surprisingly, we

found only a couple and had to literally recon-

struct them. The fi nal installation is nothing

short of stunning and does not miss evoking

a smile or chuckle from a guest,” she says.

The mirror installation by Pooja Purie in

the bathroom represents the many diff erent

facets and perceptions of a woman. The mir-

rors symbolize self-love, an important aspect

of shringar. Bindi is the symbol of a married

woman and is said to keep away bad omen.

It highlights the ajna chakra (6th chakra), also

known as the third eye. The Bindi installa-

tion is by sculptor Anand Prabhudesai. The

Nathni or nose stud is the most seductive of

all the ornaments worn for shringar. The nose

is said to be closely related to the sexual or-

gans and hence a woman wore a nose ring

to signify it. Product designer Mark Phillip

created a Nathni lamp for this room. The

Painting done by Seema Kohli showcases

the diff erent moods of a woman. It portrays

the idea of self-love. Self beautifi cation adds

to the aura which is the energy that women

use, to become powerful and signifi cant in

the eyes of the opposite sex. Peacock chair

is by product designer Neil Dantas. The pea-

cock is the symbol of beauty and grace. The

Peacock’s feather, in the form of an eye, rep-

resents knowledge. An attractive woman has

all the three qualities – beauty, knowledge

and grace

Artytechture



“The various symbols of beauty or forms of adornment are put together and translated as art to adorn this room. A stay here would truly have you surrounded with beauty. It’s the time to enjoy the shringar rasa”






Veteran makeup artiste Ram Tipnis takes us down memory lane with ingenuous insights into the art of makeup; while his humility inhibits his comments on the present scenario in the art…Words & Images: Anuja GhosalkarAnuja Ghosalkar is programme offi cer at India Foundation for the Arts,

Bangalore and Mr. Ram Tipnis’ grand-daughter. To read more on Ram

Tipnis check out Anuja’s blog: www.papaajoba.blogspot.com


GLOSS TO...

Conversations

GLAMOUR


Ram Tipnis is a veteran makeup

artiste of the Hindi fi lm industry.

He is also a master story-teller.

Perhaps, a trait inculcated into his persona;

he weaves the story of his sixty years

(1941-2001) in the Bombay fi lm industry

with élan, not realizing that stories often

become history…

Imagine a time when the superstar

of the fi lm industry travelled by the third

class railway compartment with his make-

up man! Picture a fi lm studio that func-

tioned like an extended family… In today’s

uber professional fi lm industry, this seems

unimaginable. But Ram Tipnis, one of the

oldest living make-up artistes of Bolly-

wood witnessed a time that is markedly

diff erent from the current one.

Hailing from an eminent family of the-

atre artistes (his father was the Marathi

stage actor Madhavrao Tipnis, who also

had his own theatre company), Tipnis

spent the fi rst few years of his life travel-

ling across Maharashtra with him. He

would sneak backstage and watch thes-

pians paint their faces with grease before

a performance. Says Tipnis, “Those days

there was no foundation so the actors

used grease and the more accomplished

ones applied loni (homemade white but-

Tipnis is nostalgic of his time spent with Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana and greets them even today on their birthdays


Imported shades of foundation did not match Indian skin tone; so at Rajkamal, we were encouraged to innovate

ter). With the coming of cinema, and the

decline of his father’s fl ourishing thea tre

company, Tipnis, at the age of 19 had to

support his seven siblings and ageing par-

ents. Tipnis, who could perform lines from

his father’s plays better than he could read

school textbooks, decided to fi nd work as

an actor in Pune. He secured a miniscule

role in the 1941 Marathi fi lm Municipality,

where along with acting, he also became

an assistant to the makeup artiste. Thus

began the colourful journey.

A short sojourn in Pune, and Tipnis

was Bombay-bound with his mentor Dada

Paranjpye, another makeup artiste he had

assisted. When Paranjpye joined V. Shan-

taram’s new studio, Rajkamal, Tipnis fol-

lowed. “Working under V. Shantaram was

like attending Art School,” he reminisces.

“Back then, before Max Factor (the leading

cosmetic company) came to India, we had

to make our own foundation and make-

up. At that time there was only a German

company called Leichner that sold founda-

tion. But the shades of foundation did not

match with the Indian skin tone; so at Ra-

jkamal, we were encouraged to innovate.

We used to make our own colours: we fi rst

added coloured powder to water, then

boiled it, strained it, allowed it to dry and


then mixed a bit of petroleum jelly in it,”

he explains the painstaking process with

precision, testimony to the fact that this

90-year-old artiste’s memory is fl awless.

Age has also not withered Tipnis’ abil-

ity as a storyteller. He is the triumphant

protagonist in all of them. One such is

of his ingenuity during the making of

V. Shantaram’s fi lm Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Ka-

hani (1946) where the character of a Chi-

nese priest had to don a beard with pre-

cisely 36 strands of hair in accordance with

his religious stature in the fi lm. This was a

time when wigs and beards were largely

hand-made and not readily available.

While a generic beard could be designed

easily, a specifi c beard for a Chinese priest

was hard to come by. While Shantaram

and the make-up incharge were discuss-

ing the road block, Tipnis suggested us-

ing the hair of a horse for the beard. Tipnis

explains, “Human hair is too fi ne to put

on a beard, but the hair on a horse’s back

is coarser and relatively easy to attach.”

Convinced by his suggestion, Shantaram

instructed Tipnis to construct this beard

and throughout the fi lm he was made re-

sponsible for each strand attached to the

actor’s face.

In 1947, Tipnis joined Filmistan Studio.

In the sixteen years he spent there, he rose

up to the rank of Head of the Makeup De-

partment. He recounts how improvisations

were a part of his working life. Whether it

was discovering innovative ways to make

wigs, or masking unfl attering features of

an actress’ face, or making Indian actors

look Chinese, they had to invent new ways

to make the fi ctional, believable. But the

biggest hurdle that Tipnis faced was the

advent of the colour fi lm. Geva Colour, was

a type of fi lm that when exposed, resulted

in a yellow tinge. Even though Tipnis had

tested Geva Colour many times earlier,

the Studio brought in a British make-up

expert and Tipnis was refused entry into

the dressing room to observe his “inter-

national technique”. Disheartened, Tipnis

left the room and it was only after the in-

tervention of a senior actor that the British

expert apologized to Tipnis. Deeply aware

of the entrenched hierarchies in the fi lm

industry, Tipnis continues his story saying,

“My job was to make the stars look good.”

Looked good they did. Sadhana,

Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Saira Banu,

were some of the leading stars of the

1960’s who Tipnis worked with after the

decline of the studio system. Tipnis is nos-

talgic of his time spent with Shammi Ka-

poor and Sadhana and doesn’t fail to wish

them on their birthdays even today. He

has witnessed a range of transformations:

from silent fi lm to talkie, black & white

pictures to Technicolour, cinemascope to

television… His latest foray being the suc-

cessful makeup of actor Pankaj Kapur for

Offi ce-Offi ce on SAB TV. He desists com-

menting on the current breed of artistes

and their fare, choosing instead to brood

silently. But his illustrious stories can con-

tinue as long as he has an audience and

as he waves; one cannot help but imagine

how that hand was responsible for the

shimmering faces of many a star, in a time

long gone

He would sneak backstage and watch thespians paint their faces with grease before a performance.



FLYRainbow Drive Layout’s efforts

towards water sustainability have

citizens at the centre of Integrated

Urban Water Management.

WHEN PIGS

Words: Savitha HiraImages: Courtesy Biome Environmental Solutions

A citizens’ initiative can work won-

ders for pockets of the country

and ultimately for the masses as a

whole. This is a story of design impact that

struts through the rigmaroles of inconve-

nience and bureaucracy to emerge victori-

ous as a self-suffi cient gated community.

The phenomenal pace of unbridled

growth in almost every sector has led to

widespread urbanization of city and town-

ship suburbs; the eventual development

is assessed and pragmatics fast imple-

mented to make a community settlement

comfortable to the extent possible. Yet,

despite infrastructure and community

services in place, many a time, water sup-

ply seems the last resource to be tackled

as people often rely on the availability of

tankers. With monetary implications rul-

ing the day, it is heartening to see at least

a small percentage of the layman rise up

against the odds of inconvenience, turn-

ing away from tankers and bore wells and

adopting innovative measures to contrib-

ute constructively to the betterment of his

environment and his lifestyle.

One such gated community that

sprung into action in the Rainbow Drive

Layout, South East of Bengaluru, has seen

a commendable citizens’ eff ort in address-

ing its water problems in a sustainable

manner without resorting solely to short-

term coping strategies like buying tanker

water or drilling more bore wells.

Rainbow Drive Layout Plot Owners’

Association (POA) sought the services of

Biome Solutions, a company engaged in

sustainable water management, to help

!


them understand their water situation and

put in place durable and appropriate solu-

tions as they had no provision of Municipal

water. Due to the pioneering nature of the

work that was done, Arghyam, a non-profi t

foundation supported Biome in an inten-

sive monitoring exercise to develop the full

picture of Rainbow Drive’s water manage-

ment regime and derive lessons for similar

urban contexts and communities that did

not have access to Municipal water.

In the absence of any institutional or le-

gal framework to guide it, POA undertook

eff orts towards comprehensive rainwater

harvesting and had several households

implementing the system by constructing

a large number of recharge wells and pits

at the community level to capture most of

the water that falls within the area of the

layout. Desisting the propagation of pri-

vate bore wells; POA also enforced a ban

on them to protect the community bore

well supply. The layout has been exploring

the possibility of enhancing the output of

existing bore wells or sinking new commu-

nity bore wells using scientifi c methods.

Equally important – the sewage manage-

ment system has been looked into care-

fully and alternate technologies like Soil

Bio-technology (SBT) and Decentralized

Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS)

have been considered. These carry out

the requisite maintenance, improving the

Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and ensur-

ing a higher quality of output water.

The highlight of such commend-

able but routine transformations is that

the community has gone much farther

and implemented an incentive to harvest

rainwater by building it into the water bill

through a discount for those households

who have implemented rainwater har-

vesting. Rationalizing the water pricing

scheme, POA has restructured its water

pricing scheme to recover costs and dis-

courage wastage. This has been accom-

plished by maintaining the base tariff

of water quite high in order to motivate

conservation, while a progressive pricing

regime has been put in place with a higher

cost per litre, for households that consume

more water.

Despite this achievement, POA feels

that more work needs to be done and is

looking to improve the output quality

of waste water that is recharged into the

ground, to the level where it can be used

for various non-drinking purposes. Consid-

ering recycled water as an important sup-

plementary source of water in the overall

water management picture, POA has taken

concrete measures to understand its wa-

ter usage. It has been able to monitor and

get good data on the per-capita and per-

household water consumption. Reverse

Osmosis systems have been studied to

gauge water wastage. Excessive water use

in car washing has thus been identifi ed as

a problem and an awareness drive under-

taken to reduce this. The real per-litre cost

of water has been identifi ed, by measuring

all the various sub-costs like the electric

power consumption in running the bore

wells and the cost of maintaining the STP.

This said, the Rainbow Drive story rep-

resents impressive achievements for an

urban community in managing its water in

a more sustainable and integrated manner

in the absolute absence of the Municipal

water supply. Rainbow Drive has also suc-

ceeded in enhancing the fi nancial viability

of its water management regime by dou-

bling monthly revenues. This is a vast im-

provement over its past pricing scheme. It

has also succeeded in raising water literacy

with the residents, though this has not

necessarily resulted in reduced demand,

and there is still work to be done to sta-

bilize the groundwater extraction and re-

charge balance. BIOME’s strength has been

in adapting the best suited technology for

use in urban scenarios especially on small

plots as well as getting the customer’s buy-

in to treat their waste in their own gardens/

rooftops. This has been implemented in

multiple homes in various layouts. Broadly,

the implementations are of diff erent types

based on the availability of space and the

nature of input water (black or grey).

One looks forward to Biome Solutions’

proposed computations involved in the

data gathered and the footprint to be ap-

plied to similar urban contexts and com-

munities

Greenspot

The layout has been exploring the possibility of enhancing the output of existing bore wells or sinking new community bore wells using scientifi c methods.



“Rainbow Drive has also succeeded in enhancing the financial viability of its water management regime by doubling monthly revenues”


AdRudra SPA



The importance of presentation in food is understood by all the moms of the world, but to turn it into a work of art is done best by a pro-fessional. We got Sameer Chawda to capture some of Svenska’s gour-met design secrets that they shared

with us…

Svenska Design Hotels,F 73/74, Oberoi Complex, Off Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai 400053, India; T: +91 22 4431 0000; F: +91 22 4431 0011; Email: [email protected]

GOURMET DESIGN

Photofeature


Smoked paprika scented confit chicken wings

Tapas


Ghanasingh & Sons


(Opp. page) Maple Sesame grilled peppers with garlic

croute; (this page) pan fried goats cheese and chilly figs

Salad



Parmesan and herb crusted pan-fried chicken breast with a white wine glaze,

wilted greens and brava potatoes

Main Course


(This page) Citrus crema Catalana finished at your table (cream brulee Spanish style); (opp. page)Churros with hot chocolate

Dessert



Water Melon Frappe

Drink



SMART

From Donald Trump to the taxi driver, cell phones are a common sight. But ask the

geek within you, have you ever wondered how these little phones do so much more

than the true purpose that they were designed for? The operating system (OS) is

responsible for controlling the hardware and it defi nes the overall look and functionality

of the device.

Earlier, there were only few smartphones available and most were Symbian-based

devices, until Apple completely changed the smartphone market when it announced the

iPhone in January 2007. With its sleek touch screen, friendly interface and the huge Apple

fan base, it was a success from day one. In September 2008, the world got a taste of the fi rst

Android with the HTC Dream (also known as T-Mobile G1). Fast forward to January 2011, and

everybody seems to have a smart phone. As things stand, the Symbian OS running primarily

on NOKIA phones, the iOS running on every iPhone and the Android OS running on a wide

base of handset providers are the dominant players in the smartphone OS market.

Smartphones rule the mobile world. We draw up a low down of the Operating

Systems that have made naught of the humble hand-held mobile phone.

Words: Jatin Hariani & Himanshu Hiranandani Images: HImanshu Hiranandani

S Y S T E M S

Techdiary


SYMBIAN OSThe Symbian OS pioneered by Nokia, the world’s largest cell phone manufacturer, holds the

lion’s share in the market. With an advantageous head start in the smartphone market, the

Symbian is still the alpha of the pack. The recently released Nokia N8 uses the Symbian 3̂,

which is the latest version of the Symbian OS. With Java support a large number of Symbian

applications are available through various sources including the Nokia OVI store. Though

the Symbian interface seems old, the OS continues to sell handsets on its reputation for

reliability.

ANDROIDThe Android OS, developed by Google rose to prominence in the market because its

open source capability caught the eye of a range of manufacturers – tablets, netbooks

and mobile phones combined. The Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is the latest stable Android

OS. It includes support for multi-touch based interface, video calling, and Wi-Fi hotspot

functionality. The Android comes preloaded with applications such as Google maps and

Gmail with a variety of applications available from the Android market and several others

downloadable from external sources. Some analysts even believe that the Android may

overtake the Symbian by end 2011.

iOSThe Apple iOS has carved a reputation for being fun and secure. Previously known as the

iPhone OS, the iOS is the operating system that runs on the iPhone, iPod touch and the

iPad; its latest version, the iOS 4.2, appears on the latest iPhone 4. It off ers the ability to

synchronize your music with the iTunes. The iTunes store, which lets you buy music online,

is one of the most popular features of the iPhone. In addition to this, the iOS 4 enables

an innovative folder system that automatically recognizes the type of apps concealed.

The iOS 4 has fi nally brought multi-tasking onto the iPhone. The retina display is another

stunning feature of the iPhone 4. Apple keeps its shields up and only allows applications

to be downloaded from the Apple app store, which boasts of over 400,000 applications.

There are various other operating systems but the aforementioned stand tall among the

crowd; each OS with its distinctive set of advantages helps each person select a phone as

per his need. Offi ce-goers who do not need too much still prefer the Symbian, while the iOS

is for the mobile-media-warehouse types; and last but not the least, Android is the wildfi re

spreading among people looking for a balance between business and pleasure



NAMDA

Images: Ms. Bela Shanghvi & her team

O F K A S H M I R V A L L E YBela Shanghvi gives us an insight into a

sustainable approach to traditional skills via a personally initiated and monitored

project in the Craft of Embroidery.

Namda Embroidery is a chain

stitch pattern, done with a special

needle inserted through the fabric

and the embroidery thread is picked

up from the back of the fabric with

the help of the needle shaped like a

hook. The craft necessitates that the

needle is inserted at 45 degree angle

for picking up the thread. The tradi-

tional needles used were very thick

and would often make the fabric tear

or would leave a hole in the fabric,

when the needle was pierced at a

wrong angle. To combat this, thicker

fabric was utilized traditionally, mak-

ing the process a laborious eff ort.

Myspace

Ms. Bela Shanghvi is a Design & Business Re-Engineer for Textile & Craft. Her

contribution to the handicraft industry is guided by a practicable approach with

a single-minded focus on the empowerment of the craftspeople and sustainable

solutions to keep alive the traditional crafts of India.

Ms. Bela Shanghvi can be contacted on [email protected] /+919820042350


27 years of actively working with

diverse craftspeople of India

have given me tremendous

insights into the ongoing shift in the Indian

and global markets. The pace has been

phenomenal and mutually impacting.

The kaleidoscope of diverse cultures

that India is has even the smallest village

endowed with its individualistic sensibili-

ties, its unique exhilarating ambiance and

its distinctive artistic expressions. Each

era has left behind a legacy of its classical

impressions, evolving inevitably with the

challenging and changing environment.

Embroidery craft, too, has not escaped this

impact; although it has been unable to re-

spond to the evolving scenario at a corre-

sponding pace.

This is where the role of a designer is

recognised. As designers, we can dynami-

cally weld the ‘design baton’ to impact

many lives in a variety of ways. I got the op-

portunity via an assignment by the Jammu

& Kashmir Handloom and Handicrafts Cor-

poration to develop products suited to

a modern outlook. Little did I realize then

that the simple and uneventful Namda Em-

broidery (basically using only a chain stitch)

would actually impact me as a socially

conscious professional as well as socio-

economically foster the lifestyle of the said

craftsmen.

It all began with a simple observation

of the surroundings in which the craftsmen

worked. When I visited them to evaluate the

work and shortly prepare my design brief

for them, I was forced to turn away from

the issue at hand and focus on their basic

working conditions instead. It was appalling

to say the least: beginning with the pos-

ture of the craftsmen – most wore glasses

due to strained eyesight and poor lighting

conditions, sat bent over the fabric, holding

the thick needles; feet cold and the general

work environment dusty. Even the sketches

were done – back bent over, with paper on

the fl oor. The poor posture had manifested

major negative ailments of the spinal cord,

Tennis Elbow and poor eye sight, to name

just a few. While these were among the

apparent problems, there were a host of

related not-so-apparent issues that silently

wailed for attention.

Firstly, considering both, marketing

and production issues, the thick fabric was

replaced by a fi ner more fl exible mate-

rial that could take the needle pricks easily

without making any holes in it; secondly, lo-

cal craftsmen were taught to manufacture

these needles themselves to facilitate self-

dependence; and the most signifi cant part

– the ergonomics – were considered and a

wooden frame was especially designed to

hold the fabric while the craftsmen worked

on it. Special care was taken to fi ne tune

several little details. This facilitated inher-

ent production issues, the prime one being

comfortable working conditions: the fabric

was closer to the craftsmen’s eyes without

the strain of hand-holding it; their elbows

now rested on the frame while working, so

the tension on the spine was considerably

reduced; and overall cleanliness and good

lighting signifi cantly improved the general

working conditions.


My team did tremendous ground work

as far as the economics was concerned: we

tried to comprehend the requirements of

the market by diligently studying the exist-

ing markets, trends and forecasts. Tradition

was studied. Meetings with the Kashmir

Chamber of Commerce were arranged in

order to address their needs.

Designs were developed in accordance

with the aforesaid fi ndings. But we wanted

to ensure the perpetuation of traditions.

Out of respect for this issue, I created a

contemporary collection of products with

a traditional twist, addressing the needs of

contemporary India and the saleability of

the products, both nationally and interna-

tionally. The price range varied so that dif-

ferent ways of making price adjustments

were understood by the craftsmen; and de-

sign and product diversifi cation remained

addressed.

The change experienced was phenom-

enal to say the least! This labour of love cul-

minated in as many as 40 new products with

a focus on better designs and better qual-

ity via a speedy production. The craftsmen

were trained to address various aspects of

their craft viz., proper placement of the de-

sign stencil; fabric and colour combinations;

quality of stitches; tension of the fabric; etc.

The signifi cance of basic manufacturing is-

sues like ensuring cleaner work areas and

the importance of better quality were also

explained to them. Finishing and manufac-

turing of the prototypes were given special

attention. Special packaging was developed.

Enhanced marketing eff orts were com-

menced. A thorough documentation was

done, so that even when I left, these condi-

tions and designs would continue to be per-

petuated.

After all the new learning they went

through, it was indeed a joy to see the pride

in the craftsmen’s eyes when they viewed

their fi nished products.

Looking back, I realize that the income

for the craftsmen increased by at least 3.25

times. The negative health impact of their

profession was minimized. Their sensibili-

ties changed. The speed of manufacturing

improved, resulting in faster production

and better quality, which culminated in bet-

ter per-piece-earning for the craftsmen and

the retailer along with the middle chain.

The craftsmen were happy. The traders, too,

were happy as they got better production

that increased their profi ts. A fresh range

was developed for the tourist markets. It

was a win-win situation for all.

By sharing this experience, I want to

emphasize the need for our generation to

bring about innovation and its own styl-

ization to evolve signatory designs, having

impressions of India’s present era. Conse-

quently, as in the past, India may evolve

with a choice of the adoption of infl uenc-

es of other cultures and may make these

choices of her own. No doubt, the world-

renowned skills that we have in abundance

have evolved over generations, and need to

be preserved and protected; yet, these skill

sets need to be adapted to contemporary

sensibilities in a way that the industry and

all the stakeholders are benefi ted, along

with our nation, in a sustained manner


Designaspect


Words: Tanya Siqueira Images: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

Rediscover what truly makes FLIP the design symbol of the 21st century.

BOTTOM’S


If Optimus Prime making a seamless

transformation from truck to

mechanical warrior in the American

sci-fi action fi lm Transformers had you

at the edge of your seat, hold on to your

eyeballs... Try imagining a large ship that

is sunk in the middle of the ocean – on

purpose! This isn’t the fi gment of the

overactive; but a routine mission for the

most unusual marine research vessel in

the world. FLIP or The Floating Instrument

Platform, modelled after the Louiseville

slugger (a baseball bat), was the result of

the combined genius of Dr. Fred Fisher

and Dr. Fred Spiess. Created in 1962,

by The Marine Physical Laboratory of

Scripps Institution of Oceanography in

collaboration with the US Navy, FLIP has

completed close to 300 expeditions over

the past 50 years.

Although it is loosely referred to as a

ship, the vessel is actually a manned fl oat

and needs another ship to tow it out to

the designated research site, where it can

operate either while drifting or anchored.

Although it has no engines, the platform

has a small hydraulically-operated orienta-

tion propeller that rotates the vessel on its

vertical axis to achieve the fl ipping motion.

Once at the designated spot, the cy-

lindrical end equipped with ballast tanks is

fl ooded with over 1,000 tons of sea water

to begin the fl ipping process. The transi-

tion is completed in less than 30 minutes;

beginning slowly and proceeding more

rapidly towards the end. After the bow

(the front of the vessel) has reached its

vertical position, 55 feet – almost as tall as

a fi ve-storey building – it rises above the

water surface while the remaining 300 feet

stretches underwater into a stable water

column. Captain William A Gaines (Retd.),

Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Insti-

tution of Oceanography says, “FLIP was

designed to be virtually motionless in the

ocean. This is signifi cantly diff erent from

a conventional research ship that will roll

and pitch in almost any sea state. The de-

sign ensures that FLIP moves less than 1/10

of the wave height when in the vertical ori-

entation.” This is perhaps because some of

the strongest waves dissolve just beneath

the surface leaving FLIP virtually unaff ect-

ed. This unique design of the vessel – slim

at one end, fat at the other – also helps to

stabilize the vessel in choppy seas.

Gaines adds, “When FLIP is going from

horizontal to vertical or vertical to horizon-

tal, the crew is positioned on the engine

room deck, the lowest external deck, oper-

ating the valves on the ballast tank. During

the transition periods, all equipment in the

interior of FLIP is secured, turned off and

the doors leading to the external decks are

closed.”

Made from approximately 700 tons of

Tri-Ten steel, this 355-foot vessel shaped

like a spoon operates both horizontally

and vertically with equal ease. After the

fl ipping process is complete, close to 3/4th

of the vessel remains submerged. If neces-

sary, the platform can remain in this verti-

cal position for extended periods of time.

To return to its original horizontal position,

air compressed into the platform’s eight

ballast tanks pushes seawater out and FLIP

resurfaces.

What is also fascinating besides the

platform’s ability to remain perpendicular

to the ocean fl oor is the interior of the ves-

sel. Much like a submarine, the confi nes

have been built to maximize space and

effi ciency by swinging into a functional

mode irrespective of what position FLIP

is in.

Dining, sleeping and bathing spaces

compete for fl oor space with expensive

equipment and crew. Refrigerators, shelves

and bunks are fi tted on swivels and trun-

dles – pivoted support systems – swing-

ing into operation at short notice. Once

fl ipped, a few fi xed structures like doors,

shower cubicles and sinks sometimes also

make the 90 degree move. While most

equipment works without any manual

intervention, certain fi xtures need some

manual repositioning before use.

The most signifi cant challenge for

those aboard is the limited space. When

FLIP goes to sea for a research cruise, it

carries a crew of fi ve and a science party

of 11, a total of 16 members on-board.

They share four small bunk rooms and

two bathrooms known on-board as

heads. “There is only one usable shower


when FLIP is in the horizontal and one

usable shower when in the vertical. Six-

teen persons sharing one shower can be

challenging. Even so, after a very brief

period at sea, all aboard become ac-

customed to the constrained quarters

and learn to work and live in harmony,”

says Gaines.

Functioning as a micro-community

in the middle of the ocean is helpful as

the crew can stay out at sea for anywhere

between a week to a month without re-

plenishing supplies. Generating enough

power for all the equipment on-board

then becomes essential to the success of

the operation. Acting as the lifeline to the

entire operation are FLIP’s two 150 kilowatt

generators, with an additional 40 kilowatt

backup generator, responsible for power-

ing all the equipment on-board. As FLIP is

a one-of-its-kind research vessel, conform-

ing to a certain set of safety measures can

be trying. However, since 1996, an aggres-

sive inspection and preventative main-

tenance programme has been put into

place, including an annual inspection and

refurbishment of the two ballast tanks.

Awe-inspiring ingenuity aside, the ves-

sel is used principally for acoustics research.

However, this does not limit its application,

and the platform has helped scientists to

gather extremely precise measurements

for a number of projects. Studying things

like how storm waves are formed, depths

to which whales dive and how heat is ex-

changed between the ocean and the at-

mosphere are all part of the plan for FLIP.

During the course of its research activities,

the vessel has spanned both the Atlantic

and Pacifi c Oceans and till date, remains a

versatile platform for oceanography, me-

teorology, geophysics and biology

106 DESIGN MATRIX • MAR-APR 2011106106106106106106106106106106106106106106101061001061006 DESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESDESIGNIGNIGNGNGNIGNIGNIGNIGNIGNIGNIGNGNGNGNIGNGIGNNGNN MAMAMA MA MA MAMAMAMAMA MA MAMAMA MAMAMAMAMA MMATRITRITRITRITRITRITRITRITRITRTRTRITRITRTRITRITRITRTRITRT X •X •X •X •X •X •X •X •X •X •X X •X •X •XX X •X •X •X • MAMMA MAM MAMAMAMA MAMA MAMA MAMAMA M MA MA MAMAR-AR-AR-AR-AR-AR-AR-AR-R-AR-AR-AR AR-AR-AR-AR-AR-AR-ARR-AR PR PPRPR PR PRPR PRPRPR PR PR PR PR PR PRPRPRPRPPR 201201201201201202012012012012012012012012012012012012012010111111111111111111111


PRODUCT

LAUNCHIt’s almost impossible to miss The Charcoal Project. With two levels spread over 14,000 sq. ft., this

impeccable interiors store is Sussanne Roshan’s vision and dream. She has curated from all over

the world, home accessories, dinnerware, table linen, crockery, soft furnishings, installations,

artefacts, and limited edition photo-art and accent pieces. With furniture ranging from French

antique to modern eclectic, exclusive lines designed by Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla and Andrew

Martin make it to this store.

Contact: 022 61936198

www.thechardalproject.com

The Charcoal Project by Sussane Roshan

Metrika has branched into the retail market and they promise to completely upturn your

kitchen experience. Believers of the ‘god is in the details’ philosophy, Metrika’s designs combine

beautiful design, complete functionality and great quality to bring you the kitchen of your dreams.

With fl agship boutiques opening in Mumbai and Pune, they stock a range of European-styled

kitchens that will cater to all your needs.

www.metrika.in

Metrika

Kitchens from

Experience real quality with the new ultra slim LED range from Akai. With features like natural Light Technology and a dynamic back light, brushed steel or high gloss fi nish, dynamic skin correction and motion compensation, you’re left wanting nothing. Both models have Video USB, which enables you to have a brilliant cinematic experi-ence even without a DVD player. The range also allows you to pack in sports, movies and games with an amazing backlit picture, amplifi ed and enhanced surround sound, and the convenience of sleep timer and picture freeze.

www.akai.com

LED from

Akai


Equipped with the patented Grohe SilkMove technology, these beautiful faucets give precise control over water fl ow and temperature and provide the user with an enhanced ergonomic experience. Exuding modernist appeal, the sensual Velvet Black and pure Moon White fi nishes on this collection of faucets bring with them the opportunity to create bathrooms that are sophisticated and truly individual.

www.grohe.com

The standards for incredible design have just been upped. Eco Corners new range of

kitsch clutches use vibrant colours, intriguing creatives, quirky and un-conventional cuts

and styles. The collection is perfect for someone who wants to break away from the

mould and step into the exciting world of pop culture and bollywood thrills. The Item

Girls appliquéd on the clutches stand will create a bold style statement.

Contact: 022 24813450

Black & White faucets from Grohe

Clutches from

Eco Corner


Running Shoes from Reebok Everything about Reebok’s ZigTech technology is designed to conserve and return energy to the

athlete for a soft and springy ride. The one-of-a-kind ZigTech bottom unit features innovative, light-weight foam that is engineered into a dramatic, geometric, zig-zag shape.The sole absorbs the impact

from a heel strike and sends a wave of energy along the length of the shoe propelling the athlete forward with each step. The bottom unit is both light and fl exible.

www.reebok.com

The days when you hauled out the good china for dinner parties and special occasions are

long gone and the time has come for something new and fresh. Play Clan’s zany home interior

products are just what the doctor ordered. Their new range of dinner plates in stark white bone

china, have comical illustrations inked onto them. Eating off tableware like this is an experience

everyone must have.

www.theplayclan.com

Dinner Plates from

Play Clan


Durian Industries has been certifi ed

for compliance with the internation-

ally-recognized Forest Stewardship

Council (FSC). They are among the

very few in India to have won this

certifi cation for their dedication

towards the environment and being

a responsible company. Their entire

line of products, laminates, plywood,

veneers as well as home and offi ce

furniture use environment-friendly

materials and preserve our valuable

wood resources.

www.durian.in

Siemens has introduced a minigard 4 in 1 appliance protector to make sure that all

those electrical gadgets around your house and offi ce aren’t aff ected by sudden power

surges. The device has been designed keeping in mind not only functionality, but also

with the aim of adding an aesthetic touch to the area where it will be installed. The

protector is a combination of a miniature circuit breaker and a DELTA vega socket. It can

support several appliances including air-conditioners, microwaves, geysers, refrigera-

tors and water-coolers.

Contact: [email protected]

Appliance protector by Siemens

gets FSC certifiedDurian


House of Raro brings you a collection of barware crystal so brilliant, you’ll want to insure

every glittering facet. Whether you’re a collector or a great host, this new collection is worth

consideration. The crystal barware collection by David Redman, will show off your fi nest wines,

brandy, scotch whisky and gin to their advantage. Choose from a stunning statement piece in

amethyst mounted in sterling silver and fi nished with a clear crystal stopper to elegant cham-

pagne fl utes in opal white.

www.houseofraro.com

Crystal from House of Raro

Jewellery from Orra

Established Jewellery chain Orra,

clearly knows what symbolism is

all about. Nothing says special like

their new, exquisitely designed love

bands. Whether you choose the Bel-

gian diamonds set in highly polished

platinum sheen, or the swirls of metal

curved to form a ring with tiny sprays

of crystals on them, these love bands

are a must have.

www.orra.co.in


etc.


FOUNDATIONULTRATECH PAINTS AWARDS

The A3 Foundation Ultratech Paints Awards and Conference on “Contemporary in

Sustainable Architecture” in Chandigarh.

A3

Happenings


Founded in 2004 by Ar Sangeet Sharma,

an architect based in Chandigarh, A3

Foundation promotes sustainable ar-

chitecture and with the combine association

and eff orts of professionals, students, educa-

tional institutions and other professional bod-

ies, it has fl oated an organization devoted to

the promotion of art and architecture.

As a silver jubilee event, they organized

the A3 Foundation Ultratech Paints Awards

and Conference on “Contemporary in

Sustainable Architecture” at Government

Museum & Art Gallery in Chandigarh. Ms.

Geeta Bhukkal, Education Minister Haryana

was Chief Guest and Ms. Meenaxi Anand

Chaudhry, State Information Commissioner,

Govt of Haryana was the Guest of Honour. Ms.

Bhukkal honoured the architects and lauded

the contribution of A3 Foundation in

promoting the profession and congratulated

Ultratech Paints for supporting the endeavour.

Ms. Choudhry, asked the young architects to

realize the importance of depleting resources

on earth and innovate to fi nd environment-

friendly solutions for future needs. The guests

also visited the exhibition put up by A3

foundation.

The father of sustainable bioclimatic

buildings from Malaysia, Dr. Ken Yeang,

and noted veteran architect who had

been engaged with Le Corbusier in

designing the city, Ar. S.D. Sharma,

presented the keynote addresses.

in his address, Dr. Yeang suggested that bio-

integration, restoration of ecosystem, and

integration with infrastructure were essential

components for sustainable architecture. Ar.

Sharma averred that national sustainability

was devoid of technology and sustainable

and green architecture were complimentary

to each others. Ar. Vinod Gupta from Delhi

said that sustainable development calls

for environmental, economical and social

sustainability which is for all people for all

times. Other noted speakers included the

legendary architect Charanjit Shah, who has

been former Chairman of Indian Institute of

Architects and South Asian Association of

Architects, Ar. Ashok Kumar from Lucknow. Ar

K.R. Jaisim, Ar Revathi Kamath, Ar Ranjodh, Ar

Gagan Garg and Ar R.K Kakkar.

“SD Sharma Best Sustainable Design

Award” was conferred upon Anuj Vijay Kale

from Nasik and “Best Innovative Concept

Design Award” was won by Madhur Goyal

from Gwalior. The “Best Architecture

Teacher Award” was conferred on Architect

Sarbjot Singh Behl from Amritsar and Dr.

K.S. Anantha Krishna from Bangalore. The

freelance journalist who earlier also worked

with the ‘Indian Architecture and Builder’

magazine, Suparna Rajguru was awarded

the “Best Architectural Journalism Award”.

Commendation certifi cates for sustainable

design concepts were also given away to

six students – Mohit Vij, Anuj Vijay, Rhythm

Kataria, Harsimran, Gayatri and Vikas Pawar.

Poetry and photography awards were

given to Pallavi Vohra, Harjot Singh, Rishi and

Anchal, Ishaan Pradhan and Sunaina Nargis.

Chairman’s Choice award for photography

was conferred upon Purneesh Dev Nikhanj.

The objective of the conference was to

implement and use sustainable resources

to create environmentally-conscious

architectural designs to minimize impact

on environment, explained celebrated local

architect and Chairman of A3 Foundation, Dr.

Sangeet Sharma. The event was a vision of Mr

Rohit Asthana, President Ultratech Paints Pvt

Ltd., the pioneers of introducing Green Paints

in India. CMD of Ultratech Paints Ms. Sandhya

Asthana also graced the event. The event was

attended by students from 12 architectural

institutes and eminent people from the

architectural fraternity


1



JALARAMVENEERS & FLOORS

Architects & interior designers discuss exquisite flooring options over wine &

cheese at Jalaram Veeners & Floors showroom in Andheri, Mumbai, with

bruschettas from Svenska Design Hotels.

Happenings


The Jalaram Veneers & Floors show-

room in Andheri, Mumbai, hosted a

wine & cheese evening in associa-

tion with Svenska Design Hotels. The idea

was to introduce the exquisite fl ooring

brands Finfl oor, Faus and Travette to select

architects and designers from Mumbai over

some delectable bruschettas, cheese and

marinated olives courtesy Svenska along

with some exotic white and red wines.

Svenska Design Hotels are a collection

of modern boutique 5-star hotels based on

Swedish design philosophy and contempo-

rary European styling with clean lines and

minimalist interiors. Their trend-setting con-

cepts and chic design elements combined

with signature service and personalized hos-

pitality create memorable experiences for

the guests. Member of the WORLDHOTELS

Deluxe Collection, the highest category of

5-star deluxe hotels, Svenska is a part of a

network of nearly 500 properties across 300

destinations and 70 countries worldwide.

While enjoying the pampering by both

the Jalaram and Svenska staff , the guests

were introduced to the various options of

fl ooring available in India from the parent

companies through JVAF, their sole distribu-

tors in India. The evening was attended by

leading professionals from the city, Khoz-

ema Chitalwala, Kalhan & Santha Mattoo,

Neilesh & Bhavya Kenkare, Parag Pandya,

Rajiv Kasat, Rupesh Baid, Kanchan Fagwani,

to name a few. In close attendance were

Suman Shah, Karan Jhunjhunwala, Pooja

Goswami-Kulkarni, Ashok Goswami and

Manohar Jhunjhunwala along with Babita

Krishnan, Editor-in-Chief, Design Matrix


RESONANCE2011

Resonance, the first-ever all-India competition for design students in two

categories -- Cuboid (interior design) & Silhouette (architecture) by LS Raheja School

of Architecture, saw a thumping response.

Happenings


The fi nal of Resonance was held on

4th February in the auditorium of L.

S. Raheja School of Architecture. Mr.

T. Khareghat and Mr. N. Chandra were the

guests of honour while Mr. Prafulla Karkha-

nis, President IIA was a special guest.

The evening had Mujib Ahmed and

Lalita Thadani of Collaborative Architecture

do a presentation on the way cuboids

and iconic structures can be used. This

enabled the students to understand

the way the briefs would be handled by

practicing architects. Attending the event

were members of the jury, architects

Aravind Sathaye and Seema Puri Mullan.

Conspicuous by their absence were

architects Chandrashekhar Kanetkar and

Dhruti Vaidya, who were jurors for both

closed and open jury.

At the all-India level, the jury decided to

give a special commendation in Silhouette

to Sahil Sudon, an interior design student

from INIFT Chandigarh for the eff ort. In

Cuboid only one winner was announced –

Rahul Thakker & Nitant Hirlekar from Rachna

Sansad, Mumbai.

The winners from L. S. Raheja School

of Architecture in both the competition

were: Silhouette – Akshay Kore & Rucha

Kamat (Winners), Meenakshi Jessani & Ishita

Mordani (2nd prize); Cuboid – Meenakshi

Jessani & Ishita Mordani (Winners), Narahari

banvalikar & Tejasvini Nalavade (2nd Prize),

Gargi Karve & Ruchita Chandsarkar (3rd Prize).

The evening ended with Mr. Khareghat

interacting with the students and a vote of

thanks by Mr. Khano;kar, Principal in charge

of L.S. Raheja


ODYSSEYAN ORGANIC

Anupam Chakraborty’s Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper uses organic materials

to publish all of their books.

Words: Varun Godinho; Images: Courtesy Nirupama Academy

BookBinding


I treat paper as a form of expression and

an entity in itself rather than a medium

to print written text on,” says Anupam

Chakraborty, publisher, designer, artist

and content developer – all rolled into

one. Talking about his discovery of the

organic medium of making paper and the

art of book-binding, Chakraborty opines

that organic bookbinding is an art form

that aims for more than mere aesthetics.

It aims at design sensibilities just as

much as it does at paving the way for a

greener future.

Chakraborty went to the Glasgow

School of Art in 2000, where he learnt the art

of using organic materials for bookbinding

as part of the Charles Wallace Art Trust

scholarship. On his return to India, he

identifi ed an ignorance of this specialized

technique, but also realized the potential

of propagating it in a country rich in natural

resources. In 2004, he established the

Nirupama Academy of Handmade Paper

not only to produce paper from organic

materials, but also to publish books and

hold workshops where he could teach

others the nuances of his trade.

Chakraborty and his team have

identifi ed and applied several organic

resources to the art of book-binding.

Of these, he considers cotton fi bres and

pulp as the most superior. Cotton fi bres

make paper that is superior in durability

and strength, as compared to wood pulp-

based paper; also, cotton paper is divest

of the acidic components that its wooden

counterparts often exhibit. Muga silk with

its natural golden hue, obtained from a

silkworm called Antheraea assamensis

found only in Assam, is used as a covering

fabric. The coarse copper-tinged tassar silk,

khadi and cotton fi bres are also used to

make book covers. Flour paste is a handy-

kitchen remedy that can be produced on a

large scale, too, to be used as an adhesive.

Vegetable dyes, especially from soya, are

used as a printing ink. Apart from the choice

of material for paper and binding, there are

several techniques of bookbinding that

Chakraborty employs, and enjoys. These

include: the coded multi-section technique,

the Japanese stab-binding method and the

accordion style as well.

Nevertheless, the process of making

these customized books is tedious and

expensive. Chakraborty’s fi rst book was of

water-marked images of some photographs

that he clicked at Glasgow depicting the

weather cycles during his stay. One of his

favourites also includes Ratul Visits Our

Photo Studio, an 8-page book chronicling

his son’s visit to his printing studio. His latest

project is a book titled Eyes Or Fingers, with

raised printing to assist the blind through

the Braille imprint. “It is mostly the art

houses and art house libraries abroad that

are collectors for such books,” he explains.

His books have found their way into the

collections of the Chicago School of Art

and the John Saltash Artists Book Collection

as well as the Tate Modern collection in

London. Of the four books that Nirupama

has published so far, each of these costs

between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000 and there

are usually below 25 copies published of

each edition.

From March to August every year,

Chakraborty conducts annual workshops

on organic techniques for bookbinding and

papermaking. “Over the years, a number of

people from Pune, Bengaluru and Mumbai

have attended these workshops. Some of

them are even planning to start a similar

publishing house within their respective

cities,” smiles Chakraborty


www.cascadebreweryco.com.au

Cascade Brewery


Websitereview

The new website follows on the footsteps of the campaign

Reviewed by Sharanya S.

Last year, Droga5 launched a new campaign for Cascade

Brewery that they had acquired at the end of 2009. They re-

did the labels on the beer bottles; they made new print ads,

new television commercials and even changed the name of one

of their classic brews. While the campaign was interesting in itself,

repositioning Cascade as a brand that brews by ‘feel’, it was their

newly designed website that grabbed the eyeballs.

Cascade Brewery is a legend in Australia and very often forms

part of a tourist spot for the country. And rightly so, the area is

bubbling with history. The brewery was founded in 1824 and is

situated in the picturesque location of the hills of South Hobart

and Mount Wellington. It boasts of the famous Woodstock gardens

and museums. Cascade brewery still produces its own malt for beer

from locally grown barley.

Giving a new spin to a legacy this rich, is no easy task, but Droga5

has managed it beautifully. The new website follows on the footsteps

of the campaign and lets you brew your own website by feel: On the

homepage, you are greeted by furtive looking dials and buttons. And

under that, a collage of stamps, that link to various pages like the

history of the Cascade, their various products and more…

The dials read products, brewing, homebrew and brewery and

the three on/off buttons read stores and venues, history, and news

and events. You have the freedom to fi ddle with and choose what

you want to see on your website and the stamps will appear or

disappear accordingly.

For example, if you only want to see all their products, you dial

down everything else and switch off all the other buttons. Viola!

Only your chosen product stamps will stay behind. Same goes

for reading tips and information on brewing your beer or reading

up on news and events. While this may seem amazing, it is even

more intriguing to know that this site functions without the use of

fl ash. While there are no fl ashing pictures and texts, managing the

movement of the stamps without fl ash is a fact that only adds a

brilliant technical aspect to its already expert idea and layout.

Arguably, it’s the customization that makes the Cascade

Brewery website interesting and interactive. But all of this is backed

by its cool colour scheme and layout. The website has an old-school

feel. The stamps are brightly coloured and laid out on a background

of brown wood and each page opens like parchment, or on muted-

hued backgrounds.

Click on a product and the page will give you an introduction

on the beer, its taste, ranking and also what kind of food you should

match it with. When you’re done reading, you can pick another

beer from the mini bottles that line the end of the page. Move your

mouse over one and it will quickly jump aside and unfurl a name

plate. Again, to remind you - the page uses no fl ash.

Another cool thing you can fi nd on this website is ‘The Brewer’s

Nose’. It is an iPhone application created for beer lovers. You can use

it to scan the barcode of any beer and instantly get a description

of the beer, meal suggestions, and a video explanation about that

particular beer style.

The app enables you to upload tasting notes on Facebook as

well as geo-tagging the time and place you had the beer. You can

keep track of when you had which beer on an interactive map. A

‘Find a Cascade’ tool is included in the app, helping drinkers to track

down pubs and shops nearby that sell Cascade varieties. Rewards

and prizes to users of the app are also in the offi ng.

There are also fascinating details on the site like the brewers

calculator that will let you determine alcohol content of your home-

brewed beer and the illustrated brewing process is charming.

The website works as it successfully manages to execute a

good idea, while combining a simple and attractive layout with a

complementary colour scheme. Oh, and you can actually use what

you read


Bookreview

Collaborative Design

Celebrating


Designers, Authors, Commentary (the good, the bad…)

Publisher: White Flag, Rs 2,995Editor & Introduction: Paul Buckley; Foreword: Chris Ware; Book Design: Christopher BrandPublished by Penguin Group, paperback Penguin original; Pp 254; Price Rs 499/-

Reviewed by Udit Chaudhuri

PENGUIN 75

A book design must draw the reader’s attention amidst a huge stack of choices and

trigger an initial curiosity – often before he gets the chance to read its review.

Here lies the challenge: from spine, cover, font, layout… to the choice of paper.

Celebrating 75 years of the Penguin Group’s legendary success Penguin 75 is a collection of

75 top stories in book design.

In his foreword, the eminent graphic novelist Chris Ware dwells on the fi ne line that

design must tread to preserve a narrative. This means a dust-up – “collaborative design”

to gentlemen. While the author has strong views on depicting his story, if at all; the artist

provides his unique rendition of book and brief; the Art Director worries about style, stan-

dards and reputation of the publishing house; and the Marketing pitches on what look will

sell. Finally, the embattled publisher plays match referee. Million-copy sales, author loyal-

ties extending to 50 years and thereon have hallmarked all Penguin publications that once

included Pelican and Puffi n.

Penguin Books entered the paperbacks business in 1935 with emphasis on elegant de-

sign, quality and low price. Its huge success, selling a million copies over 100 titles by 1936,

showed up a large audience for serious writing. While Penguin Classics carry the work of

immortal writers, other titles on politics, the arts and science went on to fuel public thought

across the English-reading world. Generations of students grew up on reading lists domi-

nated by Penguin.

Paul Buckley, the creative head of Penguin Books holds the narrative of Penguin 75 via

an entertaining and insightful selection, peppered with comments. Cover styles range from

tattoo-like graphics to pure geometry: Caricatures on Little Women; Fashion treatment to

Wuthering Heights; Comic-strips on Lady Chatterley’s Lover; Chinese-style ink-n-brush and

wood-cut-like graphics… Simply amazing!


Interior Fit-OutThe Interior Fit-Out Exhibition will be held

for professionals from architectural prac-

tices, department stores, interior design

companies, manufacturers, suppliers, own-

ers, proprietors and partners in commercial

properties, retailers, wholesalers, distributors,

agents and other related professionals as

well as the general public. Everything from

blinds, carpets, rugs, cushions, decorative

accessories, fabrics, fl ooring, furniture, glass

and ceramics, lighting, mirrors, pictures and

prints, table and bed linen, tiles, wall cover-

ings and more will be on display. The exhi-

bition will showcase companies involved in

the manufacture, supply and installation of

interior fi t-out and refurbishment solutions.

The event will be held along with Retail-

London.

Date: April 5th –7th

Venue: Business Design Centre, London,

United Kingdom

Flooring MoscowFlooring Moscow will provide exhibitors and

visitors to learn of new trends, technologies

and development in the fl ooring industry.

Seminars and workshops will be conducted

off ering a chance to enhance your knowl-

edge. The exhibitors profi le includes main-

tenance/cleaning and laying techniques,

carpets, ceiling and wall partitions, ceramic,

cork, linoleum, design and other services,

fi bres and yarns, fl exible fl oor coverings,

industrial fl ooring, rubber, slate and stone,

stairways and glass fl ooring, textile fl oor cov-

erings, tools and maintenance, trade associa-

tions, vinyl, wood fl oors, parquet fl oors and

laminates.

Date: April 5th-8th

Venue: Crocus Expo International Exhibi-

tion Center, Moscow, Russia

Doors & LocksDoors & Locks is for professionals related to

the fi eld of windows and doors manufac-

turing, ventilation equipment, door panels,

materials, construction mounting tools and

equipment etc. While the exhibition is rela-

tively new, the exhibitors are well-known

names. Exhibits will include automatic

doors, aluminum windows & doors, ventila-

tion equipment, revolving doors, gates, door

closer & panels, internal partitions, wooden

windows and doors, interior doors, metal,

fi re-guard & armored doors, windows and

doors manufacturing materials, glass packet

manufacturing equipment, glass-fi bre-

reinforced plastic windows and doors, pvc

windows and doors, light-transparent con-

structions, shutters, windows and doors ac-

cessories and extrusion equipment.

Date: April 5th-8th

Venue: Crocus Expo International Exhibi-

tion Center, Moscow, Russia

Original Sewing & Quilt ExpoThe Original Sewing & Quilt Expo returns just

in time to energize and inspire your sewing

passions. In addition to instructors teach-

ing participants how to advance your skills

and send your imagination soaring, the

exposition will deal with the manufacture

and sale of products for craft, needlework,

and art activities such as decoupage, quilt-

ing, teddy bear and doll making, tapestry,

papercraft, sewing, cross stitch, stencil-

ling, stamping, weaving, embroidery, spin-

ning, painting, and knitting, training and

courses involving craft, art or needlework,

craft kits, magazines or books, you must

have a presence at The Needlework, Craft

& Quilt Fair – the exhibition for companies

targeting people interested in crafts and

textiles.

Date: Mar 17th-19th

Venue: The Lakeland Center, Lakeland,

U.S.A

International Furniture & Craft Fair IndonesiaIFFINA is the answer to today’s challenging

market for furniture business and indus-

tries. It serves as a one-stop buying centre

off ering both quality and uniqueness. IF-

FINA will showcase wide selections of fur-

niture and craft products, household and

accessories. The fair aims to reach Interna-

tional potential buyers directly and gather

a rich source of new sales leads - both

from new and existing customers. The

profi le for exhibits includes furniture for

the living room, dining room, bedroom,

family room, offi ce furniture, garden fur-


niture, kitchen furniture, bathroom, lighting

and accessories, curtains and textiles.

Date: Mar 11th-14th

Venue: Jakarta International Expo, Ja-

karta, Indonesia

The Great Bridal ExpoThe Great Bridal Expo is the ultimate desti-

nation for all things bridal, off ering the latest

in bridal garment style. Professionals from

the fi elds of bridal accessories, jewellery,

beauty and hair services and products, tex-

tiles, sound, light and entertainment, pho-

tography and video production, fl oral and

stage design, wedding stationary, wedding

cakes, confectionary, catering services will

be present at the event in order to discuss

trends and showcase their work. The pro-

fi le of exhibits includes intricately designed

bridal gowns and accessories, henna, dress-

es, evening wear, bridesmaids and groom’s

wear and textiles and fabrics.

Date: Apr 2nd

Venue: Los Angeles Sheraton Gateway,

U.S.A

Visual Merchandising & Display ShowThe Visual Merchandising and Display show

is the trade fair that brings everything un-

der one room. Products and accessories

related to the world of telecommunication,

multimedia, integrator, instrumentation,

audio-visual equipment, education, train-

ing, research, electronics, computer, health,

cosmetics, design, architecture, engineer-

ing, construction, consumer goods, insur-

ance, automotive, aeronautics and others

will be showcased. This exhibition will be

held along with Retail London and Interior

Fit-Out

Date: April 5th-7th

Venue: Business Design Centre, London,

United Kingdom.

Irish Furniture & Home Accessories FairWith over 4000 buyers and 100 Irish and

international suppliers, the Irish Furniture

& Home Accessories Show is a must visit.

The fair is a window to Ireland’s furniture

industry and is packed with new products,

ideas and off ers. It will showcase a range of

products from beds to upholstery, sofas to

soft furnishings, giftw are to occasional fur-

niture, lighting to fl oors. The exhibition will

work as a meeting point for wholesalers,

manufacturers and importers from various

sectors.

Date: April 3rd-6th

Venue: RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin,

Ireland

Dubai International Wood & Wood Product Show

The Dubai International Wood and Wood

Product Show is an exclusive event that

brings together manufacturers, suppli-

ers, traders and contractors working in

the wood industry. From timber process-

ing, molding, beading, fi nishing & fi ttings,

wood & timber fl ooring, wooden crafts &

art to fastening systems, sanding & polish-

ing machines, sawing machines, splinding

& turning machines, surface treatments &

fi nishing tools and spraying equipment will

be showcased. Countries from all over the

world like India, Pakistan, U.K., France, Ger-

many, Spain, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Unit-

ed States, Switzerland, Holland, Portugal,

Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand,

Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China,

Thailand, Japan and Taiwan will participate.

Date: April 5th-7th

Venue: Dubai Airport Expo, United Arab

Emirates

Innovative Beads Expo - SeekonkThe Innovative Beads Expo – Seekonk is a

one of a kind event that will showcase vari-

ous types of beads. Diamond, pearl, plati-

num, gold, silver, antique jewelery, pearls,

gemstones - ruby, sapphire, opal, emerald,

crystal and other elements will be available.

The visitor’s profi le will include Jewellery

designers and manufacturers, gemologists

and watch or clock designers.

Date: April 2nd – 3rd

Venue: Johnson & Wales Inn, Seekonk,

USA


Inside Front Cover: Ventura MatlamPremium Metallic Laminates

Ventura International Pvt. Ltd.

1/52, W.H.S. Kirti Nagar, New Delhi – 110015.

Tel: 45536715/56


www.venturaindia.com

Pg. 1: Durian Home Furniture.401, The Chambers, Western Express Highway,

Vile Parle (E) Mumbai 400057

Tel : (022) 26269000


www.durian.in

Pg. 3 : The Art LoungeHodiwala Bhatehena & Co.

3, J. Tata Road, HP Petrol Pump, Near Ritz Hotel,

Churchgate, Mumbai 400020

Tel: 22878787


Pg 4: Jalaram

Agar Bazar S. K. Bole Road, Dadar (W), Mumbai

400028. Tel: (022) 24318444/555

9/b, k, Laxmi Ind. Estate, New Link Road, Versova,

Andheri (W), Mumbai – 400053.

Tel : (022) 26327733 / 34

Pg. 6 & 7: Faus Laminated FlooringMRJ Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

201, Shyam Kamal ‘C’ Bldg., Agarwal Market,

Vile Parle (E), Mumbai – 400057.

Tel : (022) 26187132 / 26131442

Email: fl [email protected]

Pg. 10 & 11: Le CdeorMRJ Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

H No 8-2-293/82/A/1261, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills,

Hyderabad, AP 500033

Tel: (040) 2355 0868


Pg. 12 & 13: Travette EngineeredHardwood Flooring

MRJ Marketing Pvt. Ltd.



Tel : (022) 26187132 / 26131442


Pg. 22: Room for Every RoomRoomstyle Global Pvt. Ltd.

A/106, Parijat C.H.S.L. L.T.Rd., Behind HSBC Bank,

Borivli (West), Mumbai - 400 092

w roomforeveryroom.com

Pg. 23: Uniply Elementz Decorative VeneersUniply Industrirs Ltd,

#52, Harleys Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600010.

Tel : 044 – 26605995.

Pg. 37: Le CdeorMRJ Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

H No 8-2-293/82/A/1261, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills,

Hyderabad, AP 500033

Tel: (040) 2355 0868


Pg. 46: Heritage Decorative LaminatesDeco Mica Pvt. Ltd.

306, 3rd Floor, Iscon Mall, Star Bazaar Bldg.,

Jodhpur Cross Road, Ahmedabad - 380 015

Pg. 47: Le Sutra14, Union Park, Khar (W), Mumbai – 400052.

Tel : 91 22 32511447, 26492995/7

www.lesutra.in

Pg 48 & 49: Bright Outdoor Media Pvt. Ltd.8th fl oor, Crescent Tower, Near Maurya House,

Opp. VIP Plaza, New Link Road, Andheri (W),

Mumbai 400053

Tel: (022) 67140000


www.brightoutdoor.com

Pg. 50: Leonardo Arts Pvt. Ltd.B/18 A, Ghatkopar Industrial Estate, LBS Marg,

Behind R – City, Ghatkopar (W), Mumbai – 400086.

Tel : 67969078 / 79

Pg. 51: Durian Doors.401, The Chambers, Western Express Highway, Vile

Parle (E) Mumbai 400057

Tel : (022) 26269000


www.durian.in

Pg. 59: Stellar8-2-293/k/308, Main Road, Kamalapuri Colony,

Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad 500073

Tel: (040) 66380007/66480007


www.ptdstellar.com

Pg. 68 & 69: FINfloor Laminated FlooringMRJ Marketing Pvt. Ltd.



Tel : (022) 26187132 / 26131442


Pg. 70: RMR Marmo

RMR Marmo (P) Ltd.

D – 11, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi – 110027

Ph : +91 11 45131300

Karan Kinger : (M) 9311055003

Pg. 71: Durian Office Furniture.401, The Chambers, Western Express Highway,


Tel : (022) 26269000


www.durian.in

Pg. 77: Uniply Platinum ATS PlywoodUniply Industrirs Ltd,

#52, Harleys Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600010.

Tel : 044 – 26605995.

Pg. 82: Rudra Day Spa and SalonKemps Boulevard, 1-3-5 Kwality House,

Kemps Corner, Mumbai – 400036.

Tel : +91 22 23872530 / 2531 / 2363.

Pg. 83: Laminate Gallery1 / 2, Hari Darshan, Opp. Shree Sagar Hotel,

L. T. Road, Borivali (W), Mumbai – 400092

Tel : (022) 28922119 / 28918802.

Inside Back Cover: Durian Veneers401, The Chambers, Western Express Highway,


Tel : (022) 26269000


www.durian.in

Back Cover: Ultratech Paints & TexturesF 213A/1, Lado Sarai, Old M. B. Road,

New Delhi – 110030

Tel: (011) 46061549/50


www.ultratechpaints.com

GLOSSARY

FORM IV

Statement of ownership and other particulars about magazine entitled – Design Matrix to be published in the first issue every year after the last day of February.1. Place of publication: MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., 201, Shyam Kamal 'C' Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 4000572. Periodicity of its publication: Bi-Monthly3. Printer’s Name: Mr. Karan Jhunjhunwala, Nationality: Indian, Address: MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., 201, Shyam Kamal 'C' Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 4000574. Publisher’s Name: Mr. Karan Jhunjhunwala, Nationality: Indian, Address: MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., 201, Shyam Kamal 'C' Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 4000575. Editor-in-Chief’s Name: Ms. Babita Krishnan, Nationality: Indian, Address: MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd., 201, Shyam Kamal 'C' Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 4000576. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one per cent of the total capital. a) Karan Jhunjhunwala, MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd. 201, Shyam Kamal ‘C’ Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 400057 b) Manohar Jhunjhunwala, MRJ Creations Pvt. Ltd. 201, Shyam Kamal ‘C’ Building, Agarwal Market, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai - 400057

I, Karan Jhunjhunwala – Publisher (Design Matrix), hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.Date: 1st March, 2011

Sd/-

Mr. Karan Jhunjhunwala Publisher



Date post:	12-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	design-matrix
View:	249 times
Download:	10 times

Design Matrix Mar-Arp 2011 issue

Documents