Lake
Castle
PROJECT
DETAILS
LAKE
CASTLE
Location,
Powai, Mumbai
client,
Hiranandani Constructions Pvt. Ltd.
Lake Castle, a residential
apartment building nestled in the lush green surroundings of Powaii, just
a few miles away from main Bombay is one of the most spectacular products
of the eighties boom. It differs from other residential blocks in scale
and treatment. As a response to an unusually long and narrow site, the
building is 183 m in length, with Powaii Lake at one end, a forest at the
other, and hills behind. (The plot had to allow for a D.P. road and forest
reservation) The planning and spatial arrangement is a distinct attempt
to allow all flats to face the lake.
Initial design experiments
with four buildings laid out on site indicated that this would result in
many in-between exterior spaces. The final design effectively integrated
all four blocks into one long building . Each block retains its own staircase
at the rear and has three rooms facing the lake. Further, some apartments
have been provided with balconies, increasing options available to prospective
buyers.
This huge building is
treated in a manner that minimizes its intrusion on the site. The FSI could
have been consumed in 17 or 18 floors, but we decided to keep the end blocks
low while pulling the central one up, creating a stepped wall-like mass
which complements the hills behind. The wall-likeness of the building is
further broken by puncturing square cut-outs in the mass. these give a
dramatic view of the sky through the building . Access to the terraces
so created is from the larger apartments, turning them into sky-courts
high above ground level. All windows are recessed within the double exterior
wall which is detailed colourfully but with restraint.
Egyptian motifs are used
on the building facade, like the treatment given to the columns, the friezes
and the details of the ironwork. The crescent shaped projecting balconies,
curved projections and Egyptian columns on the facade relive the monotony
into which the building would have otherwise slipped. The stepped profile
and the 2 huge rectangular cut-outs further add to lighten the building.
The building is almost like a mirror reflecting the densely layered profile
of the city itself. The 21-storeyed tower, with a lavishly decorated,
double-height entrance lobby has a distinctive layout on every floor with
projections, balconies and terraces. large French windows are repetitive
features on the facade. The tower block is surrounded by large gardens
and a huge 8-acre forest with jogging and cycling tracks.

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