Abin Design Studio: The Contemporary Experience of Hybridity

The ornamental expression in the two projects from Abin Design Studio featured here is not a return of the ornament, nor is it nostalgic –— what one precisely means is that the manner in which the ornamental is carried out, and sits in some kind of discussion with the more modern language of the building plan and formal expression, there is a concern with hybridity, inconsistency, as well as equivocality that marks cultural experience today.

- Kaiwan Mehta

BALLYGUNGE RETAIL, KOLKATA

FROM THE ARCHITECTS’ PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Client’s Brief: The KCT Group has a very powerful legacy across India. As they are based out of Kolkata, they wanted their project to be an architectural reflection of their values. The client preferred a very interesting boutique destination for retail space, while respecting the heritage of the city. As a design perspective, it was decided to respect heritage, by not being imprisoned in old forms, but evolution of traditional values through investigation or exploration of new possibilities.