"A BUILDING MUST AGE WELL"

Delhi-based 42mm Architecture constructs spaces that balance function, beauty and time-tested elegance

- By SHELLY ANAND

What began as a chance collaboration between two batchmates at an architecture school slowly evolved into a multidisciplinary design studio in 2005 with a clear philosophy—architecture must be timeless, functional and meaningful. This year marks two decades since 42mm Architecture opened its doors in New Delhi.

Founded by architects Rudraksh Charan and Priyanka Khanna, the studio has evolved into one of the capital’s most respected design practices, with over 300 projects that span luxury residences, corporate offices, institutional buildings and urban interventions— each one shaped by a process-driven approach rather than fleeting trends. For both Charan and Khanna, the journey has never been about a flashy signature style, but about crafting timeless legacies that grow with families, stand with resilience and carry forward cultural and material integrity.

A name that speaks volumes

When asked why their firm is called 42mm, Charan laughs and says, “It comes from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy—42 being the answer to life, the universe and everything. The ‘mm’ grounds it in architecture, in measurement, in precision.” Khanna says that the choice was deliberate as they wanted to avoid the convention of studios named after last names. “For us, the idea was never about two individuals. Architecture is a collective ethos, larger than its founders; the name had to reflect that,” she adds.