Patiala State, was ranked first in order of precedence of princely rulers of Punjab. The Maharajas of Patiala were among the wealthiest of all Indian royalty - patrons of art, the Patiala gharana of music and of course the famous Punjabi cuisine and Patiala peg. After independence in 1947, as the palaces and titles were taken away from the royals, their architectural heritage fell into dilapidation and disrepair. Many of the roof slabs had collapsed and age had taken its toll on the structure. A past fire had resulted in further damage and severe leakages were observed across the rooms.
The Quila Mubarak faced 80 years of abandonment, disuse and dilapidation, with collapsed roofs and crumbling walls. Abha Narain Lambah Associates were appointed by the government in 2013 and oversaw a meticulous process of structural conservation, reviving traditional building practices, training local artisans and employing authentic materials to stabilize the structure over a 3 year conservation exercise from 2013 to 2016. In 2021, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd took the palace on lease from the Punjab Government, pledging to adaptively reuse Ranbaas as a heritage hotel. They appointed Abha Narain Lambah Associates to design the interiors and after 3 two years of painstaking restoration and interior design, the Ranbaas at Quila Mubarak opened as Punjab’s first luxury palace hotel. The hotel design marries the old with the new, the traditional with the modern. The brief was to retain the historic integrity and restore the lost grandeur by creating a visual palette that evokes the lost glory of Punjab’s rich aesthetics influenced by Mughal, Sikh and later European architecture.
Taking on the restoration and adaptive reuse of Punjab’s most significant monument, the all woman team of architects Abha Narain Lambah Associates and Priya Paul as the client helmed a painstaking restoration of the historic structures, reviving traditional crafts and reinterpreting the spaces to create a bespoke luxury experience. The project involved working with master craftsmen, skilled artisans, contractors, contemporary Indian designers, and fabricators to make it come to life. The project team deftly worked with introducing modern services, toilets in the historic palace that seamlessly blend with the architectural character of the interiors.

In 2013 Abha Narain Lambah Associates were appointed by Punjab government to oversee a meticulous process of structural conservation, reviving traditional building practices to stabilize the structure over a 3 year conservation exercise. In 2021 when Apeejey Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd leased the palace from the Government, they appointed the same firm for designing the hotel spaces and interiors. The Client brief was to retain the historic integrity and create a visual palette that evokes Punjab’s rich aesthetics influenced by Mughal, Sikh and European architecture. Traditional materials were reinterpreted in a contemporary idiom to adapt carved marble, lime plaster, stone inlay, wall paintings, wooden ceilings as well as embroidered surfaces to create a nuanced yet effective re-interpretation of the past. The result is the spectacular conversion of this abandoned palace into Punjab’s first luxury palace hotel, evoking the glamourous lifestyle of the Maharajas of Patiala and Punjab’s cultural heritage.
The biggest challenge was to convert a disused palace into an iconic bar, respecting the historic and spatial integrity of the old and introducing modern services and a new use. To create an opulent and moody interior that balances historic elements like multi-cusped Indian arches with European furniture as an ode to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and his extravagant lifestyle.
Being a state monument, the conservation process was meticulous, employing authentic materials and traditional construction practices. The structural conservation employed traditional artisans to restore the historic masonry walls in lakhori bricks and lime mortars, recasting collapsed slabs using traditional brick vaulting and jack arches and restoring historic finishes in traditional araish and lime plasters. Abha Narain Lambah Associates oversaw the restoration initially for Punjab government and the interiors and adaptive reuse of the palace to a hotel for Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. The Clients Priya Paul and Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited visualized within the 18th century fort palace, a spectacular hotel experience that celebrates the historic legacy of Punjab and yet brings in an element of fun and flamboyance, a sense of whimsy and glamour into the design. The architects designed the interiors and furnishings, introducing services into the historic building with care, balancing the old with the new, traditional with modern. The concept was to retain the historic integrity and authentic materials and restore the lost grandeur by creating a visual palette that reinterprets the rich visual heritage of Punjab, influenced by Mughal, Sikh and later European architecture. The interiors blend multi-cusped Indian arches with contemporary furniture, creating bespoke wallpapers inspired by the historic murals, handcrafted marble and leather beds to create 35 suites, each with a unique design and layout. The team collaborated with lighting designers to create bespoke lighting, creating a spa within the old Lassi khana courtyard, creating Punjab's first luxury palace hotel.
After 80 years of disuse, the project revives Punjab's greatest palace complex, breathing life into a derelict fort. Adaptive reuse itself is an act of reducing carbon footprint as the greenest building is one that already exists. Water and waste recycling, use of non VOC paints, local lime plasters and reusing salvaged timber and brick are sustainable principles followed. The project not only restores a historic monument, but also creates livelihood for the people of Patiala, putting it on the tourism map. The fort stands in the center of the historic crafts bazaar and helps sustain craftsmen through tourism. Inclusive design is key to the project, led by an all woman team of client and architects and ensuring the community was part of the conservation, training a new generation of artisans in conservation materials and ensuring the sustenance of Punjab's heritage.
The project showcases innovation through a unique way of restoring an archaeological monument, a disused palace that had been abandoned for nearly a century, by converting it into a luxury hospitality destination and bar that celebrates the local culture. The conversion of the old Ran Baas (Queen's palace) has created the first luxury palace hotel in the region, giving a new lease of life to an abandoned monument. The interventions take cues from the historic palette. The team oversaw the challenging reconstruction of collapsed roofs, restoring arches and columns using traditional lime. They deftly introduced plumbing, air-conditioning and modern services in the historic fabric without hampering the architectural character. The lighting design accentuates historic arches and lofty columns, evoking the royal grandeur. The towering arches frame the bar and smaller rooms surrounding it create intimate spaces. The historic design of khatambandi wooden ceilings was given a contemporary interpretation, with customized fringed velvet chandeliers that evoke the Victorian era. Colour plays a major role to pull to unify the various elements, with a black Italian marble floor anchoring the space and charcoal grey with accents of gold. Rich burgundy velvet and silk damask in furniture and fringed lights adds a sense of glamour.