The narrative stresses on uniqueness and artistic values for the specialist service provider.
Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Ricken Desai; courtesy 4 Walls Design Studio
The site
The site for the skin studio was identified as a bare shell space on the fourth floor of a commercial building in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. It was handed over to 4 Walls Design Studio, which was entrusted with designing the space, with concrete walls and a glass facade towards the road.
The brief
A space that would suit their artistic clientele and stand out from the rest, was the succinct, one-line brief given by the clients, Vernon Studio.
The design intent
“The design delivered the concept of ‘Transformation’ through science representing the best equipment and methods of procedures that could change lives and give courage and confidence,” says Abhinav Batchu, principal architect, 4 Walls Design Studio. “The services offered by the studio through advanced technologies lead to the project’s theme being futurism, where the interiors resemble a spaceship module.”
The material palette
“Moulding and using conventional materials and creating a fairly new and unconventional space was tricky but has to be one of my favourite aspects,” emphasises the architect. The material selection features a combination of slick and industrial elements to underscore the desired theme. The walls are finished in PU ivory paint over HDF boards flushed with Flex ply over plywood, while the flooring sees a combination of raw MS plates and white ceramic tiles. The grey-painted ceiling has exposed conduits to represent the spaceship technology.
The challenges
“One of the biggest challenges was executing the futuristic theme but not letting its theatrics overshadow and compromise the functionality of the clinic,” says the architect. “There was minimal scope for error as there was a very thin line between the space looking and feeling right and entirely wrong. Many experimental mock-ups were done to obtain the right colour temperature of the blue light that would suit the ambience and the aesthetics.”
The highlights
One of the high points of the design is the spacious waiting area which is designed such that it also allows the clients to endorse a cultural gathering of the right minds from different niches. The consultation rooms with their glass sliding doors and MS flooring are also interesting, as is the studio room, designed to project a calm and meditative environment to allow patients to relax after surgeries. The process of bringing the idea of futurism into reality while trying to fit the theme into the typology of the space was something he particularly enjoyed doing, says Abhinav. “Designing a project that mesmerises its users and erases the sense of geographical context as soon as one enters the space was definitely a highlight,” he says.
The takeaway
“4 Walls Design Studio is an experimental firm, so this project gave us the confidence and courage to explore and delve into out-of-the-box ideologies and themes,” states Abhinav. “I think the project has demonstrated how versatile materials and vendors can be and that they can be used to their best abilities and skills even when it’s not the norm.”
Fact file
Project: Vernon Studio
Location: Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana
Area: 3,160 sq ft
Principal architect: Abhinav Batchu
Design team: Ar Shridhar Induri and Ar B Marlon Benjamin
Add a Comment