Design Anthology Asia Edition 2022

Pops of red from Emeco 111 Navy chairs cut through the minimal setting of the shaded dining space 149

This page and facing page Forming a perfect square, the house’s JV\\Y[`HYKJLU[YLKÅVVYWSHU^HZPUZWPYLKI` the Thai sala, an open pavilion often used as a shaded gathering place Next page Encounters with nature were integrated into the ÅVVYWSHU[OYV\\NOZOHKLK^HSR^H`ZSPUPUN[OL perimeter of the garden and pocket courtyards in each corner 150





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The courtyard aspect in the parents’ bedroom is enhanced by an opening that allows a tree and natural light to pass through 154





Facing page Next page The parents’ en suite features light :\\USPNO[ÄS[LYZPU[V[OLILKYVVT NYL`[LYYHaaV^HSSZHUKÅVVYZHUK wing through an operable second a custom built-in powder table in layer that offers both privacy and white oak weather protection This page In the main bedroom, a custom built-in bed and low shelf sit next to a small lounge and work area with a Copenhague CPH90 desk by the Bouroullec brothers for HAY and the Workshop chair by Cecilie Manz for Muuto 157







HOME / NEW DELHI From the Land

HOME / NEW DELHI I n a leafy neighbourhood in New Delhi sits the  dhokra lost-wax casting  technique. ‘These Text a house that appears to have been fashioned objects are all sustainably made, by local artisans Vaishnavi Nayel from the earth. ‘When the clients approached in the traditional style,’ says Shah, adding that Talawadekar us to design their new home, the architecture many of the stone statues and antiques are made Images was already established. We began the design from reclaimed or reused materials. Ashish Sahi process with careful consideration for the context while ensuring that it complemented the Shah’s time-honoured wabi-sabi aesthetic Previous page and interior profile,’ explains Ashiesh Shah, founder manifests in various ways: in the dining room’s facing page and principal architect of his eponymous soft silhouettes, the raw textures of the guest Realised by Ashiesh Mumbai-based studio, who was enlisted by the bedroom, and the way the wood and grey palette Shah, the interiors of homeowners to create a calming oasis where reappears here and there. While the entrance this New Delhi home indoors and exteriors blend into one another. area is characterised by grey marble flooring were designed as a that complements the precast concrete walls, seamless extension The resulting home is an extension of the this greyscale is offset by the warm timber in the of the architecture landscape it inhabits. ‘The spaces feature layers private spaces as well as the dark wood that lines and landscape in of natural materials that serve as a backdrop the walls and ceiling in the living room. which they sit. for artisanal design objects sourced from across Several outdoor oases the country,’ says Shah. In an effort to balance The bedrooms echo the textures and tones of the complement the the home’s monochrome shell, the interior is common areas. The main suite is layered with home’s ample indoor elevated with objets d’art — some Shah’s own neutral hues and tactile fabrics, while the guest spaces designs, some from other eminent designers. bedroom mirrors the exterior palette through ‘The homeowners have a discerning eye for fine the use of concrete panels and a concrete craft. They’re collectors and connoisseurs of fine sculpture by artist Rathin Barman. Shah took a art with an appreciation for good design,’he says. slightly different approach for the two daughters’ bedrooms, creating brick-walled, loft-style By the same token, artworks figure in every area spaces that nod to their college years in America. of the home. A piece by Indian architect BV Doshi at the entrance, for example, hangs over a The home features several outdoor oases. Apart black bench designed by Atelier Ashiesh Shah. from the family’s common deck and the outdoor Antique Naga totems line the entrance, there’s a extension of the massage room, each daughter Ravinder Reddy head on the staircase and an Alke has a private deck of her own, the first with a Reeh artwork hangs above.There are glimmers of swing and the second with a Jacuzzi. In all, the local craft too: the light in the gazebo was made home, with its ample proportions, influences in Channapatna and the bar in the living room from near and far and a uniquely local palette, is was crafted by artisans in Chhattisgarh using informed equally by travel and tradition. 162





In the home’s majestic double-height entrance, antique Naga totems from Kerala are layered against the cast concrete walls, while a blue bust sculpture by local artist Ravinder Reddy adds a pop of colour 165

The home’s gazebo houses a spacious lounge, where cosy sofas are paired with striking pieces such as an artwork by Prabhakar Pachpute, a pair of wooden bark stools from Kochi, a Tuareg rug and the Channapatna light from Atelier Ashiesh Shah 166



In the dining lounge, a comfortable seating area pairs the Maharaja sofa and armchairs from Giorgetti with a mix and match of pieces, including a couple of Channapatna stools from Atelier Ashiesh Shah, Clay dining chairs by Maarten Baas and various artworks by local artists 168



Echoing the ceiling’s round moulded design, the dining room exudes a sense of elegance and softness embodied by the generous curves of the DeMuro Das dining console, table and chairs and the Flos Overlap Suspension 1 pendant by Michael Anastassiades 170



This page Encased in raw concrete walls, a birch and metal staircase connects [OLNYV\\UKÅVVYHUK[OLÄYZ[ÅVVY Facing page )VSKJVU[YHZ[ZKLÄUL[OLSP]PUN room, where curved sofas and the Guccha ceiling lamp from Atelier Ashiesh Shah pop against wooden walls and ceilings 172



This page Bold and opulent, the guest bathroom is swathed in marble Facing page The guest bedroom is designed in a darker, subdued palette, cocooned PU^VVKLUWHULS^HSSZÄUPZOLK with a soft concrete texture 174



The main bedroom draws on curved elements, soft fabrics and textured paint to create a sense of comfort and respite, while the Seepi 1 ceiling lights by Shailesh Rajput Studio make a graceful statement 176



Several outdoor decks complement the indoor spaces, including a private deck adjacent to one of the girls’ bedrooms with a swing by Rishi Bathla, and the massage room deck with an outdoor pouffe and an artwork by Arunkumar HG 178



6U[OLSP]PUNYVVTKLJRHULSLNHU[ÅVH[PUN bench in terrazzo and matching terrazzo ÅVVYPUNI`7HYTHU+LZPNUZJVU[YHZ[^P[OHYH^ concrete wall and the surrounding nature 180



ARCHITECTONICS Surveying our built environment

Hong Kong-based photographer Kenneth Chao travelled parts of South Korea and Japan to document the work of modernist architect Tadao Ando Image by Kenneth Chao

ARCHITECTONICS / PHOTO ESSAY After Ando 184



ARCHITECTONICS / PHOTO ESSAY Text K enneth Chao studied in Melbourne and Zurich and Simone Schultz spent more than a decade working in advertising Images agencies before turning his hand to photography in 2018. Kenneth Chao Chao, who is based in Hong Kong, was inspired to visit the Church on the Water in Tomamu, Hokkaido, after the Previous page sudden passing of a family member in 2017. Designed by Hong Kong-based photographer Kenneth Chao Japanese modernist Tadao Ando, the concrete and glass travelled to South Korea and Japan to document structure is a meditation on nature and sacred spaces, buildings by modernist architect Tadao Ando, and is one of Ando’s best-known projects. ‘I felt a strong including Jeju’s iconic Bonte Museum connection to the architecture, and photographing it Facing page became a therapeutic experience for me during a difficult As with other photographs in the Travelling for Tadao time,’ Chao says. ‘This was also a transitional phase in Ando series, Chao’s images of the Glass House in my life, when I was reconsidering my path. This journey Jeju depict the synthesis between architecture and ultimately helped me come to a decision about a career in landscape, as well as the meditative spaces that are design and architecture photography.’ Alongside a budding formed by framed views photography career, the Travelling for Tadao Ando series began to take shape. ‘I’ve always had an interest in architecture, and Tadao Ando is someone I’ve followed closely,’ Chao says about why Ando’s work has become a particular focus. ‘Reading about his personal story and upbringing has also inspired me in many ways. I was so captivated by the experience of seeing his Church on the Water that it motivated me to explore further.’ Over the next twelve months, Chao travelled to Jeju and Tokyo to document Ando’s work. ‘I visited the Bonte Museum, the Glass House and Genius Loci in Jeju and was awestruck by how organically the architecture integrates with the landscape,’ he says. ‘In Tokyo, I immersed myself in Ando’s urban language.’ In the capital, his shot list included the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT museum, 21st Century Christ Church in Hiroo, the Collezione complex, Fukutake Hall at the University of Tokyo, and lesser-known spots like Duchesne Hall at Sacred Heart School, where he ‘wanted to capture the unique prism-like building’. As a photographer, Chao is drawn to Ando’s signature style —  ‘minimal and unadorned yet expressive’ —  and notes that the architect’s work ‘details a duality between basic geometric forms and a great sensitivity towards elements of nature, such as landscape, light and water.’ The qualities of Ando’s work have also influenced Chao’s photographic approach, he says, ‘in the way that he considers proportions and negative space, and the way he creates impact through light and shadows.’ Chao plans to extend the series by visiting Ando’s preeminent buildings on the island of Naoshima and in Ibaraki. Looking ahead, he says he’d like to document the work of other modernist masters, Niemeyer, Gehry and Calatrava especially. But in the meantime, he’s planning to focus on his home city of Hong Kong, ‘documenting stories and memories that have a personal or historical significance, and scenes that are gradually disappearing in our city.’ 186





Facing page Emblematic of Ando’s style, the architecture of the Bonte Museum creates a perfect dialogue between nature, concrete, water and light This page One of Ando’s best-known projects, the concrete and glass Church on the Water in Hokkaido inspired the beginnings of Chao’s Travelling for Tadao Ando photography series 189

This page Chao’s images capture the duality and contrast between geometric forms and elements of nature in Ando’s oeuvre. In Tokyo, he photographed the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT museum (top), The University of Tokyo’s Fukutake Hall (bottom left), the 21st Century Christ Church in Hiroo (bottom right) and Sacred Heart School’s Duchesne Hall (facing page) 190



THE FLÂNEUR Back in the USSR Text Illustration Samia Qaiyum Yana Khvan I’m a little late to the party. While I’ve long been intrigued authorities and those furious about not being able to wed by the symbolism of the birch poles and felt carpets of in religious establishments like mosques and cathedrals. Kyrgyzstan’s yurts, it wasn’t until much later — during the lonely days of lockdowns and flight bans — that a very Nearby, the UFO-like Kyrgyz State Circus is not only a different side of the country piqued my interest. Unable to prime example of modernist Soviet architecture, but also a travel, I found myself living vicariously through Benjamin testimony to the circus’s transition from a pastime popular Rich, an English YouTuber famed for exploring the hidden among Russian nobility to a form of entertainment for the corners of former Soviet republics. I was hooked. And masses. The circus was once the subject of a debate over the I wasn’t alone. In fact, I was one of almost four million use of animals in circuses — in 2009, a performing bear subscribers following his exploits. attacked and killed a circus worker, but protests around animal rights fell on deaf ears. And while the Kyrgyz My hunger to learn more about the oddities of life in the State Circus continues to operate sporadically, the guard’s USSR is how I eventually ended up in Bishkek, the capital reaction to my arrival implied that inquisitive tourists aren’t city of Kyrgyzstan, with plans to spend a day exploring the welcome to wander inside. ghosts of the city’s communist past. The contrasts of the landscape drew me in: brutalist buildings and wide, tree- Less conspicuous, but just as significant to the Soviet lined avenues in the foreground, the alpine wilderness of era’s crumbling legacy, are the large-scale mosaics dotted the Tien Shan in the background.The Kyrgyz capital is also across Bishkek. Outwardly, these public artworks created littered with memorable structures, some with backstories between the 1960s and 1980s served to beautify the city, as curious as their appearance. but they also convey messages of propaganda. I lingered by the side of a nondescript residential building to take In a case of ‘seeing is believing’, I unintentionally crashed a in a mural about labour, depicting working-class figures wedding at the aptly named Wedding Palace, which stands alongside intellectuals like scientists and astronauts — all as a functioning reminder of the days when religion and ‘united’ towards the USSR’s progress, of course. And while religious ceremonies were banned under Soviet rule. On ideological tools disguised as art are all too common, they this sunny day in August, the building looks more like can’t be taken for granted either. Ukraine, for example, a castle dominated by grey marble, vaulted ceilings and banned all communist symbols in 2015. Will Kyrgyzstan stained-glass windows. But the garish aesthetics of the follow suit? Only time will tell. non-denominational venue are very much intentional — it was designed as a compromise between the communist Samia Qaiyum is a travel and culture editor based in Dubai. 192