Nirvana, a creative office in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, is a 3,000 sq. ft. plot transformed into an 8,000 sq. ft. sustainable workspace, featuring a skylit north-south staircase for natural light and ventilation, and an eclectic design blending wood, concrete, glass, and vintage elements to inspire collaboration and innovation.

Nirvana Films' Studio

Workspace Interior Design I Bengaluru, Maharashtra

Client Nirvana Films Studio

Area 8,000 Sq.ft

Status Completed 2011

Photographer Pallon Daruwala

Team Shimul Javeri Kadri, Sarika Shetty, Poonam Sachdev

The “box” for Nirvana emerged, as with all urban buildings, out of a small corner plot in the heart of the busy neighbourhood of Indiranagar in Bengaluru.

Nirvana is an office space for an ad film production company. A film production firm that thinks out of the box. Their films are a surprise – an unexplored humane perspective on a product. Their office interior design is based on the thought that the connection of synapses creates ideas – not privacy or isolation.

The "box"

The “box” for Nirvana emerged, as with all urban buildings, out of a small corner plot in the heart of the busy neighbourhood of Indiranagar in Bengaluru. Optimising space, site setbacks, allowable FSI for a commercial project, are given, in gaining 8000 sq. ft of built-up area on a site of 3000 sq. ft. However, this project explores the possibilities inherent in a commercial building despite the constraints of real estate. The resulting urban typology overturns all norms – using almost NO electricity – for light or ventilation. The Core of this box is the N-S connector staircase that slices through the building with a huge skylight above, suffusing it with sunlight and natural ventilation much like a courtyard would in another typology.

A contemporary building that stands for innovation and sustainability

The studied lightness of structure and material – no beams, and three materials – wood, concrete and glass produces an office building interior where light and shadow, thought and interaction become the protagonists. A contemporary building that ignores any “isms” and stands for innovation, sustainability and pluralism (all stylistic features co-exist – classical chairs, kitschy graphics, old-world windows).

Floating concrete treads, eclectic furniture, exposed concrete walls in office, Built-in wooden bench, colorful furnishings in office, open plan layout, natural light entering through openings in workspace

minimalist yet eclectic workspace, full height glass windows in workspace, vertical full height louvres, white vertical louvres, leather armchair, vintage brass floorlamp, polished metal workdesk, vintage wooden work chair, vintage trunk as a coffee table, vibrant colorful wall art, woven just rug, concrete cement flooring

warm and functional communal working area, built-in wooden bench, wood and stone, exposed concrete flooring and ceiling, white marble table top on wooden work table, contemporary eclectic furniutre, colorful pop art in workspace, open plan layout in workspace, natural light pouring in through openable facade in office

warm and functional communal working area, built-in wooden bench a the edge of the opening, wood and stone, exposed concrete flooring and ceiling, white marble table top on wooden work table, contemporary eclectic furniutre, colorful pop art in workspace, open plan layout in workspace

Floating wood and concrete treads, natural wood as treads, contemporary natural finish on wooden treads

minimalist yet eclectic workspace, full height vertical full height louvres, white vertical louvres, vintage indian wooden work chair, colorful patchwork quilt chesterfield sofa concrete cement flooring, Workspace with natural ventilation, workspace without air conditioning,

minimalist yet eclectic workspace, full height vertical full height louvres, white vertical louvres, colorful patchwork quilt chesterfield sofa, white swivel chair, white bent-metal side table, concrete cement flooring, Workspace with natural ventilation, workspace without air conditioning, openable facade,

playful pantry table, chalkboard walls, colorful eclectic art in office pantry, old school ceramic water pot, vintage wooden console as pantry table

multiple mirror frames in toilet, natural cove light in toilet, black tiles in office toilet, vintage wooden bathroom console

minimalist yet eclectic workspace, full height vertical full height louvres, white vertical louvres, vintage indian wooden work chair, traditional wooden window frames in office space, concrete cement flooring, Workspace with natural ventilation, workspace without air conditioning,

VIEW ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

The 2400 sq ft workspace is an exploration of interconnections and openness, framed by lightness and visual delight. The primary consideration in planning the office interior space was to respond to climate and optimize natural light, while opening out vistas to existing trees on site. The footprint of the building is sliced through the centre with two shear walls - a dramatic gesture which liberated the structure and facade. The shear walls hold the central vertical staircase with a large skylight above, opening up portals of light and almost levitating levels which appear to be in conversation with one another. The workspace required separate rooms for production, design and visualisation, with common areas for meetings and conferences, with interconnections made possible across multiple levels. The confluence of three materials – wood, concrete and glass produces a commercial design interior where light and shadow, thought and interaction become the protagonists.