Barsana Kolkatta, India

Posted in Projects on 15 February, 2017

Dhruva Kalra of Ravish Mehra Deepak Kalra lead a team of designers to design Barsana-a 20,130 SF boutique hotel, located midway between Science Park and Park street of Kolkatta.

This seven storey building includes 45 guestrooms, a restaurant, and an event and conference space. This chain, coming from a small town in Bengal- Siliguri, had to create a niche for itself in the hustle bustle of Kolkatta. Located in a city rich in culture and tradition, the hotel had to be unique, reminiscent of its location and yet fit into budget.

The building owing to its confined surroundings, size and height limitations, manages to create a strong presence in the area with its elegant and bold façade dressed with the organic and imperfect texture of the locally procured stone.

Upon entering the main lobby, fluid with a lounge and restaurant, the guest experiences rhythmic line work compositions, forming a visual connection between the exterior and the interior. In a setting of horizontal lines, the reception makes an impact with a contrasting set of line work spread across the floor and ceiling. Burnt – natural stain wooden finish, a scheme of warm colours, along with the beautiful peacock in brass that meets the eye as one enters –adding glamour to the space and giving a sedate colour and feel for guest to feel at ease.

Art within a hotel has typically been secondary, however in this case the spaces have been threaded together through the pictures of local elements of Kolkatta, which following an earthy and natural palette are silent with just a splash of colour, bringing liveliness to the otherwise formal atmosphere.

The interiors see the use of every space within to its advantage in a clearly functional manner, while creating the illusion of being in a much larger series of spaces internally. The five upper floors housing the rooms, have a repetitive distribution in order to optimise the space. Specific, bright accent colours have been used in each room to add the much-needed zing and life to it, reflective of the Indian culture, which is full of colour and festivity. Corridor on each level has a unique identity owing to a changing colour scheme, breaking from the silent setting of the public spaces.

The topmost floor houses the banquet hall, that can function as two separate units with a foldable partition wall or as one large hall based on the need of the hour. This space has been rendered to require minimal ornamentation while being set for a function. The quirky colours, the pattern, the mirrored ceiling-are all representative of the conviviality of the inherent culture.

Each space is a sculpted volume with forms, colours, textures, materials and lighting being brought together in a cohesive way to create its individual experience. These spaces create a hotel that is not just a place to stay in temporarily, but one that will leave a lasting impression.