MEDIA / NEWS

In this feature on the evolution of Indian kitchens, Ar. Manish Gulati (M:OFA Studios, New Delhi) highlights how cooking has transformed into a shared social experience rather than a gendered chore. Reflecting modern lifestyles, he notes that kitchens now merge with living areas to keep conversations flowing and families connected. This shift, influenced by changing work patterns and Western design ideas, has turned the kitchen into the home’s interactive heart.

“Space Innovation: The Evolution of Shared & Collaborative Spaces,” a Surfaces Reporter panel moderated by Dr. Anuradha Chatterjee, featured Manish Gulati, Ishvinder Kaur, and Vikas Sabharwal. The discussion examined India’s growing co-working culture, with Gulati noting that shared spaces are shaped more by financial planning than design. He emphasized creating efficient, flexible, multi-functional environments that adapt to changing economic and social demands.

Commissioned in 2010 through an international competition by the Ministry of Tourism and Government of Goa, the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) is envisioned as Asia’s first of its kind. Drawing inspiration from the dynamic relationship between the surfer and the sea, the design captures movement, rhythm, and energy. The architecture merges traditional laterite stone with contemporary corten steel, symbolizing harmony between nature, technology, and human spirit.

House B123 by M:OFA Studios reinterprets the joint family concept through an inward-looking design featuring light courts, split levels, and double volumes that foster interaction and privacy. A highlight is the exposed air-conditioning duct that doubles as a light fixture and art piece, symbolizing innovation within function. The raw material palette reflects the honesty and individuality of the residents, enhancing openness and togetherness throughout the home.

The Chatter House in Khan Market, designed as an ode to vintage Irish pubs, exudes understated elegance and nostalgia. Entered through a steel door into a dimly lit stairway, the bar reveals brick-lined barrel vaults, antique leather seating, and terrazzo flooring evoking old British underground stations. Inspired by locomotive-era aesthetics, Edison bulb lights and art deco elements harmonize with Irish memorabilia, creating a soulful, music-infused ambiance that balances warmth, restraint, and charm.

The Chatter House in Khan Market, New Delhi, designed by M:OFA Studios, recreates the warmth of vintage Irish pubs through materiality and ambience. Spread across 1,700 sq.ft. over two levels, it accommodates 75–80 diners. Featuring brick-lined barrel vaults, circular windows, and terrazzo flooring, the design blends Irish aesthetics with Indian sensibilities. Lime mortar brickwork and locally inspired elements ensure the pub feels authentic yet contextually rooted.

House B123 in New Delhi by M:OFA Studios reinterprets traditional Indian architecture in a modern way to suit a joint family’s interactive lifestyle. On a compact 300 sq. yard plot, the 11,500 sq. ft. residence rises vertically across five levels, with public and private spaces interlinked. A central atrium with a floating lounge, plunge pool, and feature wall connects all floors, encouraging openness and cross-views for family interaction.

The Chatter House in Khan Market by MOFA Studio reimagines vintage Irish pubs with a refined, atmospheric design. Entered through a black steel door into a dim stairway, the journey transitions from light to shadow, evoking sensory intrigue. The bar level, defined by brick-lined barrel vaults, riveted steel girders, Edison-bulb lighting, and leather seating, recalls British underground stations. Subtle art deco details, skylights, and tonal contrasts craft a moody yet vibrant setting balancing intimacy and liveliness.

The Chatter House in Khan Market, designed by MOFA Studio, is an elegant extension of its Nehru Place outlet inspired by vintage English and Irish pubs. Entered through a matte black steel door, the dim stairway leads to a bar framed by brick-lined barrel vaults, riveted steel, and Edison-bulb lighting. Antique leather seating, terrazzo flooring, skylit upper levels, and art deco touches evoke Irish nostalgia and musical warmth in a refined, atmospheric setting.

Located in the dense neighbourhood of Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, Khurana Residence reinterprets the joint family living model—one plot, multiple floors, shared roots. Using courtyards for light and ventilation, the inward-looking home features split levels, double volumes, and urban gardens that create dynamic opportunities for both privacy and interaction.

The Golden Tusk Resort in Nainital by M:OFA Studio is an agro-resort near Jim Corbett National Park that offers urban travelers an immersive experience of country life. Rooted in Zen philosophy, the design promotes harmony with nature through cottages built with local materials, a rivulet as the site’s spine, and spaces arranged organically around it. Using stone masonry, reclaimed wood, and metalwork, it sustains local crafts and eco-conscious living.

Aearth Resort is envisioned as an art resort with an art gallery and nine cottages that double as artist studios during camps and exhibitions. Designed like an art village, it fosters collaboration among art enthusiasts in a tranquil setting. Inspired by the idea of crumpled paper, the triangulated grid shell system and origami roof—crafted with slate walls and pine wood—merge traditional Naggar architecture with contemporary form.

The National Institute of Water Sports in Goa, designed as Asia’s first of its kind, creates a dynamic connection between athletes and the sea through its fluid architecture. Commissioned in 2010 via an international competition, the design symbolizes the transition between land and water. The structure embodies motion—rising, falling, and flowing like waves—serving as a metaphoric bridge between humans and the ever-changing sea.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of Goa, the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) by M:OFA Studio envisions a one-of-its-kind Asian hub blending leisure and technology for water sports. Inspired by the fluid relationship between a surfer and the sea, the design embodies motion and balance—appearing drawn by the tide yet anchored to land. Its dynamic, flowing form seamlessly merges with the coastal landscape, wrapped in rustic Corten steel.

The Hall of Nations (1972) by Raj Rewal and Mahendra Raj symbolizes India’s modern architectural identity. Its precast RCC spaceframe pyramid blends structural efficiency with climate-responsive design. Evolving from a trade hub to a cultural landmark, its geometric perforations and glass façade create a versatile, comfortable public environment.

The National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa, designed by M:OFA Studio, captures the essence of a surfer’s journey—between man and sea. Architect Manish Gulati describes it as a transitional space, where architecture mirrors the rhythm of waves, rising and falling in motion. Commissioned in 2010 through an international competition, the 220-tonne structure embodies fluidity, adventure, and connection, serving as Asia’s iconic hub for water sports.

The Aearth Resort in Naggar, Manali, designed by M:OFA, draws inspiration from local Himachali architecture, blending slate walls, pine wood, and sloping roofs with a contemporary aesthetic. Conceived like a paper fold, the design features biomorphic cottage pods resembling anthills and a main building with an origami-style roof. Using a tubular steel framework with ferrocement shells, skylights, and green roofs, the resort harmonizes architecture with nature, creating an immersive, organic retreat.

Monsoon Ambience in Gurgaon, designed by M:OFA, exemplifies retaining a brand’s identity through architecture. Located within a high-end mall, the salon uses a rustic material palette, exposed brick, and wooden planks with controlled lighting to balance the urban context and service environment. Spaces are carefully segregated yet fluid, merging individual privacy with collective activity. Across multiple outlets, the design evolves pragmatically, maintaining a distinct yet continuous brand vocabulary reflective of Monsoon’s ethos.

Manish Gulati of M:OFA Studio views architecture as a living, adaptive organism that responds to humans and nature alike. He emphasizes contextual, fluid design that evolves with lifestyles while fostering a symbiotic relationship with the environment. Architecture should withstand seasons, accommodate all life forms, and embrace sustainability through water, energy, and waste management. Buildings like the DPCC Head Office exemplify this philosophy, merging innovative design with ecological sensitivity.

Located in a lively New Delhi neighborhood, the B123 Residence replaces a chaotic street corner of tangled wires and a ficus tree with an architectural reflection of family life. Designed to counter urban disorder, the home embodies harmony and connection through spatial fluidity, seamlessly weaving together the complex relationships and daily rhythms of its residents within a calm and cohesive environment.

M:OFA Studio designed Monsoon Salon & Spa, New Delhi and Toni & Guy, Gurgaon, blending global brand language with local context. Both interiors emphasize openness, functionality, and light through neutral palettes, glass, recycled materials, suspended elements, and double-sided mirrors. The spaces distinctly zone salon activities while maintaining visual flow, using materials like vitrified tiles, RCC, MDF, and LED lighting to create sleek, rejuvenating, and energy-efficient environments.

“Pensieve,” a public art installation in New Delhi by MOFA Studio, redefines public space by merging art, sustainability, and functionality. Made from 1,200 recycled shipping pallets, 900 matchboxes, and solar-powered furniture, it evokes nostalgia for Delhi’s historic ruins where imagination thrived. The installation encourages interaction and environmental awareness, proving that sustainable design can inspire cultural reflection while withstanding vandalism and maintenance challenges in India’s urban context.