The project brief, as envisaged by LIC is to optimize site potential and maximize investment returns....

The brief is interpreted based on

- site contexts
- cultural contexts
- functional orientations

it revolves around creating a retail and an office identity, layered with other activities which increase the viability of functions encompassed in both these identities.

....essentially making it people specific for the retail segment and creating functional efficiency for the office building.

Retail Success implies generating maximum footfall and attracting eyeballs

multiplex and food courts are planned to increase this footfall

However,
there needs to be a self evoking gesture,
which the building needs to communicate with the people outside it

..and the gently sloped landscaped green strip, like the two arms, marks the beginning of this interaction

the green strip envelopes the retail block and serpents along from one side to the third level creating the podium, while moving straight into the second level multiplex from the other side.

The five floor Retail block with its transparent faces to the roadside, while overlooking the court internally, appears carved out of the office block, juxtaposing a volumetric relation, and creating a constant interaction physically and visually at different levels.

the podium atop the multiplex separates the office tower from the rest, and acts as a green buffer, interspersed with numerous full grown trees. It has a food court and provision for recreational activities.

Office Tower

Planning and design
The office tower evolves out of site boundary alignments and simple geometry of grids. The design is based on two basic premise of well ventilated building and well lit spaces.

Rather than a standing monolith, it traverses out of a triangular configuration into two branching arms, with appropriate width to allow effective natural light penetration from either side. The floors stack up six levels and turn their orientation eastwards for another six levels containing an intermediate podium. The building continues to reorient southward with last four floors. A wall of photovoltaic arrays allows intermittent South sun while shielding it from any onslaught of inclement weather.

The three podiums at three different levels oriented around the central open core allow the building to breathe efficiently. It remains well ventilated throughout. It effectively reduces a lot of operating costs on air conditioning and day lighting for the office spaces.

The podiums are again interspersed with many trees to create the green refuge as meeting ground for the office users.

Basement Floors

Basement at two levels cater to 560 cars and services & utilities, while some nominal parking is planned at ground level.

Site Planning

No boundary walls are proposed on the front, rather a muted low flat platform with lined trees gestures the sense of arrival. People can ease themselves into the site and take different ways to reach the upper or lower floors. Vehicular traffic is induced at the first corner and taken deep in to the drop off point, either for the retail arm or the office tower behind, thereby clearly segregating from the pedestrian traffic.