Udeta, designed by Stapati and The Bus Ride, opens in Goa

Udeta, meaning ‘rising’ in colloquial Konkani, is the new 18,000 sq ft concept event space at Alila Diwa Goa, a cornerstone five-star Hyatt resort. Designed by Stapati and The Bus Ride with a lighting scheme Aarkh, Udeta harnesses the slow magic of Goan skyscape. The earthy brilliance of the project is employed through a play of colour and texture — be it the massive, rammed earth wall inspired by the skyscape; the dark bold minimal blocking of the floor, or the organic rough textured timber accents. Additionally, there has been an honest attempt to infuse the signature Alila response to Udeta by favouring organic, natural shades and textures, integrated with an active lush tropical landscape.

Udeta features a 12,000 sq ft indoor space that can accommodate over 1,200 guests. It includes a 3,600 sq ft pre-function area and the largest pillar-less indoor space in South Goa, spread across 8,400 sq ft. Udeta is the only event venue in Goa with a built-in live Theatre Kitchen that offers a visual treat of our culinary artists preparing and serving fresh gourmet delights. The outdoor includes lawns at Udeta and Udeta Alfresco spread across 6,000 sq ft with a built-in bar and grill. The event space is modern, functional, and flexible and is complemented by an expert team of event planners and artisanal gourmet experiences.  The venue is versatile with the outdoor and indoor spaces seamlessly weaving into each other, allowing flexibility for multiple styles of events.

The design of Udeta is rooted in Goan sensibilities and is evolved in a contemporary architectural vocabulary through the honest use of materials and simple clean lines. Nature is an integral part of the design with seamless transitions created from the interiors to exteriors. The structural members are deliberately not covered up, but form part of the aesthetic, where the exposed concrete roof slabs of the pre-function area float on the unique Y-shaped steel columns. With this feature, and the use of a glass, the facade design of this L-shaped pre-function space blurs the boundary between inside and outside. Aligning with architecture, the lighting of the pre-function space is conceived to enhance the inside-outside experience. The rammed-earth wall is uniformly illuminated with sleek modern wall washers that infuses rustic sophistication. The concrete ceiling features a field of up-light pendants. The illumination of the walkways, landscape and outdoor bars compliment the lighting concept curated for the exteriors of Udeta.

The ceiling of the ballroom is a marvel — it is envisioned as a “field of luminous volumes” of 250 dome-shaped pendants floating in black void. The pendants display translucent globes consisting of a dynamic light source that can provide light of any colour and hue, as needed for the various events of the space. The depth of the dome hides the globe from the regular field of vision. Possibly untrodden in any ballroom previously, this approach turns the ceiling into a unified plane of luminosity as the rest of the architecture recedes, leaving a field of radiant domes.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Mohsin Taha; courtesy Alila Diwa Goa