When we were asked to do a renovation and extension of a bedroom in a Nari Gandhi house our first reaction was of awe and humility. Holding this initial feeling we set our intent to treat this assignment as if one was doing an intervention into a heritage building, touching it carefully and lightly. When one enters the space, they should still meet Nari first.

 

First gestures were based on the cues extracted from the original architectural language. Position of rhythmic columns, niches, skylights, cantilevers and cornices gave us our scheme that gently slips in the house without disturbing its presence. A simple wood and glass enclosure extends the room to have a lounge space and a foyer. Bathroom extension on the other end responds to the pergolas above. To the existing shell we only added a thin layer of precast terrazzo tiles and daub layer of pale beige limewash on the brick walls.

 

Teakwood, cane, terracotta, banana fiber and lime remain coherent to the times when house was built while still adding an intimate atmospheric quality to the place. Light entering into this space lingers on and removes the darkness that used to suspend. Monolithic granite bathroom extension meets the original structure midway at cornices bridged by softly glowing skylight. A final layer of curated plants in bathroom and verandah brings the essential poise. The light in this space is gentle and soft. The way we would have loved to meet Nari – with softness and modesty.