Situated in the prime location of Baroda, the penthouse of Mr. Manish Patel is no less than a villa on a level with vast spaces syncing with each other seamlessly. An art piece in itself, the penthouse comprises 7,000 Sq. Ft of two floors and 3,500 Sq. Ft of terrace garden; that accommodates a large double height living area with luxurious kitchen and dining and four sprawling bedrooms.
The main door with patina finish brass plate and sheesam wooden battens running across the door with a carved-in handle, hints at the details and customisation that the project explores inside. As you enter, the small foyer has a mirror on one wall giving an illusion of a bigger space. An asymmetrical graceful bench provides seating for two and a glance of the house.
A step forward into the house and the mystery unfolds as the expansive layout of the house reveals itself. There is a marvellous sculpture that welcomes into the classic double height living room. This dramatic sculpture from Ashit Das is from his “Parchaai” series that makes an eloquent statement with a vertical glass alongside depicting a female figure etched in glass as contrary to the male sculpture together symbolises the eternal male-female equation. The huge living space with burnt granite wall suspends intriguing art on it. The nine ceramic pieces by Vinod Daroz adds a touch of elegance to the perfect backdrop of the wall. While on the next wall, the double high glazed surface provides extended view of the city. Overall the space offers calmness to the house.
As we step closer into the living room, a well-articulated staircase manifests with bare concrete wall that forms the backdrop for the splendid human figures that are seen as if climbing up the wall. These intriguing human figures are carved out of fibre and seem to scale the wall that signify the upward journey as conceptualised by Dipen Gada himself. The interconnectedness of staircase with above areas allows for a grand and seamless living space.
The ground floor encloses dining area, kitchen, two bedrooms and exclusive pooja area. The dining area is yet another fascinating space with seven elegant pendants that is a combination of illumination and curling creepers in glass holders hangs above the customised dining table with mother-of-pearl inlay. The painting on the adjacent wall by Heeral Trivedi adds to the aesthetics of this space. The kitchen is airy, bright, functional and all in white, its size permitting the luxury of an island. It is specially tailored on site as per client’s requirement.
The parents’ room adopting an age-appropriate aesthetic. A small 12 inch x 12 inch painting has a large silk mount frame creating soothing atmosphere. The pooja room next to parent’s bedroom has a marvelllous gold leafing at the backdrop of the god’s idol, which creates a pious environment for mediation. The entire floor has inserts of many outdoor sit out space, semi covered with concrete and wooden cladded M.S. pergolas. The client enjoys a comfortable balance between built-up area and green space.
The staircase leads up to this wide passage that becomes the perfect display of the spectacular paintings by Arunanshu Chowdhury. There are lavish bedrooms attached with large dressing and toilet areas, each with a distinct identity of its own. It also enclose the home theatre and meditation area, occupying a total of 3500 Sq. Ft area.
The daughter’s suite is in blue, black and white tones. The portrait on the wall behind the bed proclaiming right of ownership. The adjoining room is a meeting place for the friends of this student of architecture, so that they can study together. A drawing board supports their academic activity, while capacious ‘pockets’ on the side of the sofa provide storage space. Two chairs are upholstered in blue denim, adding a young vibe to the space. The bathroom is also in blue theme. A wall behind the wash basin hides away the shower and WC from immediate view.
The master bedroom follows the muted aesthetic of the rest of the home. The bedroom is kept very spacious with separate assigned areas for entertainment, study and sleeping. The huge size of dresser manages all storage. Here wooden floor is used to add warmth to the space.
At terrace level, the lounge area opens up to a lush green garden with a water body, rendering the perfect ambience for leisure. The entire garden is majorly white and green tones with nice sit-out and swings. The open-to-sky area houses a white gazebo at the centre. A glance of gazebo with the night sky is really enchanting. Major use of hexagonal shaped handmade white tile is juxtaposed with the slate mosaic flooring and wooden deck. There are servicing platforms on the rear end of terrace for frequently occurring parties. The limestone on its walls imparts a pale pistachio colour.
Project Fact file
- Client’s Name – Mr. Manish Patel
- Built up Area – 7000 Sq. Ft + 3500 Sq. Ft of terrace garden
- Design Team – Dipen Gada, Gopal Patel & Arpit Jain
- Site Coordinator – Chetan Builders
- Photography – Tejas Shah
- Text – Hiral Shah, Nidhi Patel