The Tote - Serie Architects

© serie architects

The Tote Location: Mumbai, India

Client: Private client

Status: Completed, 2009

Cost: Undisclosed

Area: 2,500 sqm

Use: Commercial

Serie Architects

© serie architects

Below: Structural detail of the roof canopy

© serie architects

A series of disused buildings from

Mumbai’s colonial past set within the

Mumbai Race Course are to be converted

to form a series of restaurant and bars.

The conservation guidelines call for

the preservation of the roof profi le for

three-quarters of the buildings and full

conservation for the remaining one-quarter.

The interesting aspect of the site, however,

lies not in the colonial buildings but in

the open spaces covered by mature

Rain Trees. These spaces are shaded

throughout the year by the thinly wide

spread leaves of the Rain Trees, allowing

almost the entire proposed program to

occur outdoors.

Our proposal follows this idea of a

continuously differentiated space, with no

clear boundary, into the envelope of the

conservation building. A new structure is

proposed within the old building envelope.

The structural system adopted here is that

of a tree-branch. The propagation of the

branching system along the longitudinal

section of the conserved building is

differentiated in its growth along the

transverse section. This differentiation

reorganizes the old buildings with new

dining programs. Therefore each dining

program (wine bar, restaurant, pre-function

and banquet facilities) is captured within

a different spatial volume, defi ned by

the variable degree of the branching

structure. As the structure branches into

fi ner structural members as it approaches

the ceiling. When the branches touch

the ceiling, the ceiling plane is punctured

with a series of openings corresponding

to the intersection of the branches with

the purlins and rafters. These openings

become light coves and slits.

The interior of the Lounge Bar on the

upper level is an intricate arrangement of

3-dimensional, faceted wooden panelling,

acoustically treated with sound proofi ng

material. The pattern of the panelling is a

series of trees with intersecting branches.

We devised a 3 point co-ordinate system

to map out the pattern onto the walls of

the heritage wing, given the 3 dimensional

nature of the panelling and that each

intersecting point had a totally different x,y

and z co-ordinate. This system allowed

local craftsmen to achieve a high level

of fi t and fi nish with fairly primitive tools.

The faceted panelling is fi nished in walnut

veneer with bronze channels making up

the tree pattern.

Bottom: Structural system follows the logic of rain trees

on the site

Project Description

The Tote - Serie Architects

Documents

Transcript of The Tote - Serie Architects