Imagine Studio at the Trees
Photo © Edmund Sumner
An adaptive reuse project set in a one-acre location in Vikhroli, Mumbai, the Imagine Studio grandstands an amalgamation of nature, heritage, master planning, and urbanism through an exciting chronicle of movement. Idealized by Studio Lotus and GPL Design Studio, it synergizes an experiential depiction that matches the bequest vision of the Godrej brand. The collaborative venture remolded a cluster of industrial buildings and its environment into a trailblazing advancement giving it a modern reason all together, however keeping the quintessence lively.
Project Insights
Designed as the Experience Center for ‘The Trees’, the Imagine Studio clarifies the course of action for the challenges related to the progressing vision of the Godrej brand. The aim was to illustrate a restored public space as an indispensable portion of the acre arrangement while protecting the realm of the site. Existing buildings were updated keeping in mind the functioning of the space in the long run, and growing the edge of the gated development to incorporate the exterior into the interior.
The ageless structural shapes determined from the current industrial sheds and the materiality of Concrete, Corten steel, Brass, and Timber work on the guideline of ‘Wabi-Sabi’, which would permit the buildings to age perfectly with time. The buildings are transformed into a marketing office with sample flats, meeting spaces, a small cafe, and a few open-air areas to showcase up-and-coming private and commercial property advancements dynamically.
Two former power co-generation plants and a boiler were remodeled into a Studio, Workshop, and Cafe. A tall chimney, an evocative example of a forgotten industrial place has been repurposed as a symbolic memorial.
The newly-designed interiors are inspired by the “memory” of the metal silos – cylindrical units that are placed at the site. The shape of these forms bridges the gap between the rigid geometry of the building and the sculptural aesthetics.
The boiler plant was redesigned as an all-day café by retaining the structural framework and a boiler tank keeping the soul of the place intact. The Boiler café, workshop, and Studio all together create a high-spirited public space that exhibits the elemental key of the ideologies of ‘The Trees’.
Louvers from the primary plant were recuperated and reused as a light-filtering device from leafy tree canopies, throughout the day.
The landscape of the entire site is restored strategically to keep the heritage envelope in a more urbanistic setting using industrial scrap as a story-telling device. A Corten steel strip is inserted into the layout as a guiding pathway to the entire marketing journey.
Project’s Impact
The storyline of this incredible project was grounded in the legitimacy of the site and a broader vision of development for future generations to prevail. A mechanical geography and architectural sensibility are specifically highlighted in this project. It demonstrates a new style in design aesthetic can emerge preserving the original building forms and the existing architectural elements in the space. This reworking is a remarkable example of the merger between contemporary sensibilities, sensitivities of the structure, and how transparency can connect the outdoors and indoors. Creativity being the main motive, the space serves as a romantic setup between the community and private areas.
Scooped out industrial bodies, the buildings are given a new purpose as memories of a forgotten industry. It has a contemporary form that is so agile and ready to remold itself, sitting sculpturally within the landscape and attempting to ensure public engagement with participation. The design embarks an aesthetic point into the world of real estate development and asks for more conservation remedies.
