'Retro'-Fit, New Delhi

A friend from Jodhpur was getting married in Delhi and wanted us to renovate his house which was originally built in 1962 but was presently in a dilapidated state. A major renovation requirement was the servant’s access to their quarters which were on the roof and were being accessed by a makeshift staircase right in front of his dining room. Apart from that, the existing balconies on the first floor were very narrow and unusable. They also needed to be extended so that the rooms could enjoy a sunny outdoor space. After looking at the house, our first impression was to recreate the almost Retro-esque feel of the house for the interior spaces. Warm and bold colors with flowing forms reminiscent of that time were seamlessly incorporated throughout the house. An old chandelier from one of the client’s movie halls in Jaipur was dismantled and made into an art installation in the staircase. A lot of the existing furniture was repainted and reused. For the exterior, the design was mainly aimed at creating a facade that looks as if it has been there forever yet had a contemporary appeal to itself. A very popular yet humble architectural element of the ‘60s, was the concrete. Jaali was given a contemporary avatar with a clean line design and innovative construction detailing. After renovation, the servant’s access coherently merged with the front facade of the house.