Dudhwala Complex, a landmark property in the vicinity of Mumbai Central, was constructed in 198* and comprised 3 residential towers with a retail block facing the road. Wing A, a retail part of the development, has been used as the office for the I. Dudhwala real estate Group. Redevelopment of WingA, as an iconic edifice, was envisaged by the group’s new management.
Thirteen new residential floors were to be added atop the 6 floor office structure. External columns had to be erected to support the new structure. The abominable appendage led to the need to design a visually coherent facade. The misaligned columns and shafts, protruding from the building line, became the primary design driver.
The design evolved into parallel strokes that visually unified the structure and accentuated the verticality of the tower. The ACP ‘strokes’ modulate to create unobstructed city view from the residential floors on the top, while becoming a perforated screen for the office floors. The stokes are aligned to screen the external columns and modulate for the entrance on the ground floor.
On the residential floors, openable glazing is inset between the facade elements, whereas, a homogenous curtain glazing rests behind the elements on the office floors.
The inherent facade symmetry marks a welcoming approach to the tower and attempts to create a stunning visual spectacle amid a cohort of normalcy.
