The Loft | Redefined. Space for architecture in SoBo, Mumbai

South Bombay, affectionately called SoBo, is emerging as the Art District of the Indian metropolis. Right here, Studio PKA transforms a historic disused structure into The Loft | Redefined, in its workspace that will remain in the DNA of the architecture firm and an integral part even when it moves (to the 4th floor of the same building) to follow its further evolutions

Mumbai's Art District: SoBo in an eclectic mix of architectural styles

SoBo is a foreign urban area where culture, heritage, and an eclectic mix of architectural styles coexist: alongside contemporary interventions, you can find neoclassical, Gothic, Victorian, and art deco styles, creating a unique spirit of the place. The architecture firm Studio PKA showcases one of its interior design projects, the redesign of the second floor of a century-old Victorian-style building, giving life to the new space for the studio named The Loft | Redefined

A space tailored to the sensitivity and needs of the Studio

The Loft | Redefined is a space with a strong affinity for natural light, well served by public transportation and, immersed in the Art District of Mumbai, it adapts to the sensitivity and needs of the Studio, allowing it to be part of the context and contribute to the collective sense of cultural identity that pervades these streets. The conditions of the space at the time of acquisition, such as bricked-up windows and a strong fragmentation with non-load-bearing partitions, required a significant critical review to restore a functional order suitable for the new needs

Evolution of Adaptive Re-Use. "Peeling away" to discover innate tactility

The project The Loft | Redefined advances the concept of Adaptive Re-Use by exploring the innate tactility of space. A process of "peeling away" subsequent interventions that were inconsistent with its structural rigor, characterized by wooden columns and large openings, led to carefully dismantling and reusing components and materials. The original intrinsic character of the building is brought to light and then enriched with elements salvaged from other demolished buildings in the city, such as doors and more

Digging and discovering the potential of space by celebrating its spirit

The principle “digging and discovering” that guides the intervention has been adopted not only to respect, preserve, and celebrate the spirit of the place, but also to manifest the countless potentialities that the space can offer: natural light, natural ventilation (practically non-existent in offices in the urban context), and visual connection with the SoBo context and between internal spaces become key points of the project, eliciting an “emotional response that evokes interstitial moments of reflection, discovery, and presence” (Studio PKA)

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Studio PKA

KK Chambers, Sir PT Marg, Fort, Mumbai, India