How do we define luxury today? l SJK Architects

Talk by Vaishali Mangalvedhekar | Smartex 2025 Delhi on 19th February 2025

A reflection on contemporary luxury in architecture – exploring how space, nature, craft, and meaning redefine indulgence in a rapidly changing world.

Process of glue lamination from top left to right bottom

The Leaf House, Alibag. PC: Rajesh Vora

Traditionally, luxury meant OWNING symbols of wealth—reflected in our lifestyle, products, and design, by the use of rich materials, extravagance and high-end brands. But today, in many parts of the world, especially among Gen Y & Z, there's a shift. What your purchases ‘REPRESENT’ matters more than just being symbols of wealth! Luxury is also about a STATE OF BEING not buying or owning.

The new luxury is definitely more PRINCIPLED & EXPERIENTIAL.

So, how can architecture respond?

Drawing from one of my LinkedIn old posts, I used some of our projects at SJK Architects as examples to explain my thoughts at Smartex earlier this year-

1.Luxury is Space

Beyond cramped urban life, space evokes awe—through tall volumes, proportions, and layering, as seen in our Hotel at Bodhgaya, a signature hospitality architecture project.

2.Luxury is the Minimal

In a chaotic world, luxury is the calm of clean lines and soothing materials—as seen in our Boat Club Road project, which embraced restraint in choice of palette and materials, yet evokes luxury.

3.Luxury is Nature

Urban India is more and more devoid of nature – so spaces that manage the connection with nature, that blur the edges between the inside and the outside like our Leaf House project—are today’s new indulgence.

But also the feel of the natural, the authentic and raw (as opposed to the highly processed and synthetic that our eyes are now accustomed to seeing) feels like a rarity to enjoy.

4.Luxury is Personalised Variety

It’s the freedom to choose your experience — be it breeze through a window or quiet in a courtyard. Some projects can afford a variety of spaces to experience. Others, like our Light House in Nagpur, use elements like the wooden lattice screens to convert the same space into a variety of different experiences.

Wooden lattice screens at the Light House, Nagpur. PC: Niveditaa Gupta

5.Luxury has a Personality

It’s bespoke, rooted in the local, and tells a story, like our Hotel at Tirupati that uses symbology to make a powerful emotional connection with the pilgrim end-users, catering to religious tourism.

6.Luxury is Craft

It celebrates the hand-crafted and artisanal over mass-made. Human touch over machine finish. Seen at our Hotel at Hampi, we can not only create a feeling of uniqueness and luxury hotel design by tuning into local materials, form and detail but in working with the local masons and crafts-persons, this idea of luxury can keep alive dying crafts while advancing cultural tourism experiences.

Detailing at The Hotel at Hampi. PC: SJK Architects