Conscient One, Gurugram
This hospitality space exemplifies luxury on a budget
Designed for Conscient Infrastructure Private Limited, Conscient One is a mixed-use space that brings together retail, workspaces, and serviced apartments, all towards creating aesthetics that seamlessly adapt to its context. The clients wanted a luxurious, high-end look on a restricted budget – a challenge that transcended into an opportunity. A thoughtfully curated material palette, refined yet simple finishes, and punctuating spaces with artwork helped achieve the same.
The brief stipulated by the client outlined the designing of the lobby space and all serviced apartments. The design vocabulary of the 50,347 sq ft building aims to embody the brand’s ethos in a welcoming, unique, and cohesive manner, while inserting itself in an emblematic hospitality space. Considering budget constraints, the design vocabulary preserves, embraces and celebrates the architectural style of the building. Vivid components have been integrated via materiality, texture, colour, shape, and scale to create a harmonious design experience.
The entrance lobby comprises an indoor lobby concierge and leads to various amenity areas such as the swimming pool, porch and elevators – catering to all building users. Considering this area is a mix of double-height and low ceilings, the design exercise focuses on bringing balance and scale for a cohesive look with minimal architectural interventions. Since stone slabs were turning out to be more expensive, vitrified tiles with abstract patterns have been carefully chosen and installed to create the silhouette of an artwork. These low-maintenance tiles combine aesthetics and art to create a layered look. A local artist hand-painted the prolonged beam that centrally frames the reception area in subtle shades of grey and blue and touches of red. The artwork doesn’t clad the shaft all around but only covers the part above the mirror frame to restrict costs. Double-height glazings have been added over the reception and on the opposite end to maximise illumination.
The furniture profiling has been determined based on the layout, to keep it centrally focussed, while providing ample thoroughfare. A one-of-a-kind sofa has been customised to visually expand the space and experiment with scale rather than opt for smaller — which worked to the advantage of this space. Rich blue upholstery adds another layer of luxury. Instead of a smaller seating arrangement, the triad design of the sofa plays to the length of the entire lobby area. The powder rooms, swimming pool and back office, are also on the reception floor level, along with four elevators.
The building has four lift lobbies or elevators — three for passengers and one for a service lift that opens to the opposite side. These elevators lead to the serviced studio and one-bedroom apartments. An inviting lobby space greets visitors as they get off the elevators. Just like the reception area, asymmetrical patterns on the flooring provide continuity to the design narrative. An industrial-decor-inspired chandelier frames the drum-shaped table. Recessed lights in the ceiling and custom-made signages lead the visitors ahead.
Though the apartments feature a similar design scheme, the detailing differentiates one from the other. A colourful interplay of pastel hues in the wall with moulding doubles as artwork. The idea was to finish an entire wall at the cost of one artwork. Adhering to the budget constraints, only one wall in the living area and bedroom is highlighted to create a focal point. The furniture is sublime and contemporary. Two kinds of sconce lights on the walls again reinforce the art-centric approach. The beds have been carefully fitted within the accent wall and aligned with the moulding. Little details, such as floating side tables, enable an expansive vibe, while laminate flooring brings in the warmth of wood while fitting the budget.
The project’s starting point has followed the idea of rethinking luxury on a budget. As a result, all interior finishes adhere to the strict limitations the clients provide and yet exude a luxurious contemporary aura. Conscient One sets a new benchmark with public spaces that offer the possibility for social and intellectual conglomeration. Likewise, the curated apartments reflect a multi-fold design approach that merges aesthetics, comfort and functionality while being luxurious and decadent.
