Splendour Living transforms an abandoned warehouse into a creative workspace
As time passes and a city develops, its essence starts transforming. In the heart of Mumbai stands a forgotten hamlet that used to hold the city’s spirit—Sewri. The place ripples with historical significance, its features narrating the story of its many lives.
Similar to its location, Splendour Living’s new creative studio elucidates its journey to becoming the expressive workplace it is. From a strategic infantry fort in the 1800s to a functional industrial hub and finally, to an abandoned mill, the warehouse has experienced it all. When Sharan Parekh, the managing director of Splendour Living, saw the abandoned building, he thought it had endless potential.
“Splendour has always had its roots in the island city. We immediately fell in love with this part of Bombay that was once the city’s heart but now almost forgotten,” shared Parekh with AD.
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The flamingos that migrate to the region during winters inspired the founders to name their studio ‘Maraal’. Blending into its industrial backdrop, the warehouse preserves its commercial appeal. With dashes of the charm and character that period pieces carry, Maraal envisions clean lines and contemporary design aesthetics. Steel girders, exposed beams, and decrepit floors embody the previous structure and unabashedly flaunt bespoke design installations.
The surfeit of space in the warehouse makes the perfect blank canvas. Its 1400 sq ft space splits into a workshop and prototyping facility, an experimental kitchen, and a race shop. Cultivating Nyishi Parekh’s, the Director of Architecture and Hospitality, adoration for the culinary world, the space’s experimental kitchen hosts tasting menus and cooking events for fellow enthusiasts. On the other hand, the race shop savours Sharan’s inner car enthusiast and motorsport engineer, providing a designated area for car maintenance, preparation, and development. A suspended wooden cabin, designed to host clients, peers at the area.
“The play between the raw, rugged architecture and the refined elegance of the interiors created a compelling juxtaposition,” Nyishi told AD.
The gallery space entertains an exclusive range of design pieces crafted by Thierry Betancourt, the Creative Director at Splendour Living. Its bold innovation captures much-deserved attention. The area’s high ceilings expose it to soft natural light as the open layout showcases a spread of collector’s items. These span from a 20th-century solid wood Naga table to a pair of large Huanghuali yoke back chairs that contrast Splendour’s collection, like the Interference table.
The old warehouse stands as a living testament to the power of design and the adaptability of urban spaces. True to its vision, Maraal brings forth the city’s industrial spirit and compliments it beautifully with contemporary artistic expression.
The exteriors and interiors seem in a tussle to get the most attention, with the external facade adorning cast-iron panels and semi-circular, segmented fenestrations. At the same time, the indoors showcase a display of Minton tiles, religious motifs, and grapevine. The sky-blue blends into a subtle sage green and pale inside.
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