The building presents itself majestic
and stately in off-white.
Built in the classical style Bayer
House stands out when
viewed from
any angle. The site, opposite the picturesque
Powai Lake, with
its lush green foliage, and against the
backdrop of hills, is magnificent.
The building itself is located
on the most strategic position
of the rotary at Hiranandani
Gardens. In order to establish a distinct
urban character and
to make it a destination point we had
decided to apply the
classical style to all the buildings
in Hiranandani Gardens .
Though this took some convincing for
our clients, each of
whom wanted a distinct look for themselves,
we prevailed in
bringing them around to our point of
view and succeeded in
fashioning a classical ambiance. The
building has an
extremely strategic location, and the
two shopping centers
nearby in the same classical style
complement the whole area.
Once inside, the color white is predominant.
The triangular shaped interior
has an atrium which provides natural light to the entire work
area. On looking down from the upper floors,
one sees a large lion mosaic,
the former symbol of Bayer, made with colored tiles in blue,
peach and brown shades, imported
from Germany. Our concept by the
usage of color and decor. The interior ambiance is such that it
does not segregate one floor from the other.
The sixth floor which houses the Managing
Director's offices,
the boardroom and the executive offices,
is a blend of modern and
international features, and Indian
ethnic styles. The decision to use
antique Indian artefacts and not contemporary
art was taken after
many discussions with Mr. Brenniser's
(M.D., Bayer India Ltd.) wife.
Being a German firm the furniture is
of international standards and
style, the
Indian touch being provided by the antique columns from
Ahmedabad, Tanjore
miniatures, and objects d'art like metal pots.
This combination though
exuding a rich is not the result of a large
amount of money spent but,
largely due to the knack of putting the
right thing in the right place.
The most important criterion was that
the new office should have a
good working
ambiance and better staff amenities. Open style work-
stations, shining
brass railings, etched glass balcony walls, antique
wood carvings from
Gujrat, an idol of Lord Ganesha and metal
screens were used for the
decor. Each floor has a differently
designed reception area. The dominating
colors of the interiors are
white, cream and blue. No walls are
used to segregate work-stations,
thus giving the feeling of openness
making the entire building feel
like one unified space. No stair-cases
are visible from any point;
doors in brown discreetly shutting
them out of sight.
The structure constructed on a triangular
base, has an imposing dome. The dome
is covered with Shaun tile mosaic, and houses the lift machinery and
water storage tanks. The atrium has a polycarbonate
double sheeting roof. The buildings
pleasant ambiance and natural lighting is conductive to better
productivity. Because of the central atrium,
during the day time you require
less than other conventional buildings,
thus conserving electricity and making it
a most energy efficient building.
We believe that a discreet, 5-star
ambiance is necessary. With
globalization, we have
to be par with international standards.
What is a necessity abroad
as of now is a luxury here.
Inspite of
the tight spaces the impression
one should get is
that of an extremely
spacious interior. The usage of glass
is a necessity for tight
spaces.
It is a good material to work with
and has many advantages like
transparency, easy maintenance. The
central atrium too makes the
spaces appear large.
The total area of the building is 60,000 sq. ft.
and with around 274 people,
after taking off certain areas, it leaves
very little area per person.