Kolkata is a melting pot of art, culture, and heritage, home to numerous museums, galleries, and historical landmarks. Scattered throughout the city are hundreds of colonial-era structures that, while reminiscent of a bygone era, have adapted gracefully with the march of time and continue to brim with life.
All things glam and grand
Overlooking a 112-acre lake and the lush gardens of Eco Park, the hotel’s introverted C-shaped plan harnesses views of the placid lakeside, a centrally positioned swimming pool, and landscaped surroundings, establishing a resort-like environment in the format of a city hotel. The central wing houses the hotel’s public areas, including the arrival lounge, a specialty restaurant, and an all-day dining venue.
Studio Lotus’ interventions for the facade and interiors blend eras and influences, celebrating them in a new idiom. The design employs a refined material palette, subtle details, and architectural flourishes that channel the city’s old-world charm. Crafts and motifs native to Bengal are reimagined to further impart a distinct layer of regional identity.
A curved feature wall sets the tone for the arrival experience. Hand-laid terracotta tiles cover the wall, creating a composition that evokes the intricate patterns of a Jamdani (a regional textile) weave. This tactile wall creates a compact capsule housing the hotel’s reception. Guests are led to the lounge through a voluminous barrel-vaulted corridor that elevates the sense of scale and grandeur. The lounge is designed as a series of intimate booths featuring paintings by local artist Jit Chaudhury. His art, an abstraction of Kolkata’s cityscapes in Jamdani-like strokes, intricately weaves the city’s stories into the visual fabric of the space.
Eras and artworks
The suites feature a monochrome palette with black and white terrazzo floors, complemented by furniture and millwork in black-stained teakwood. Curved edges, expressed as arches and surface treatments, such as flutings on the vaulted ceilings, cohesively tie together the visual and spatial narrative. Regional crafts, such as Kantha embroidery and intricate forms of paintings inspired by traditional Ganjifa playing cards, are incorporated into the suites as artworks and elements like tabletops and upholstery. Hand-painted motifs depicting the Sundarbans’ flora and fauna adorn the vaulted ceilings at the entrances, further enriching the narrative of regional craftsmanship.
The public spaces build on the monochromatic palette of the suites while introducing their own distinctive flavour. The specialty restaurant and the all-day dining area grant sweeping vistas of the pool and the lake, inviting guests to disconnect from the din of the city and immerse themselves in the tranquil surroundings. In the specialty restaurant, statement-making deep red walls at the reception set the tone for an ambience that combines the elegance of a modern jazz club with the comfort of lounge dining. Planned as a series of intimate booths, the dining area features patterned carpeted flooring in deep tones of brown and beige. The walls feature soft brown fabric panelling, with Art Deco motifs rendered using a 3-D Microfibre panelling technique. This, combined with dark teak furniture and grey furnishings, creates an intimate ambience for after-dinner drinks and conversations.
Turning back time
In contrast, the all-day dining restaurant features a breezy, light-filled verandah overlooking the pool. The sun-lit space offers the flexibility to be enclosed to ensure optimal air conditioning throughout the hot and humid seasons. The flooring features a striking interplay of grey terrazzo with inlays of Jaipur green marble.
Inside, the dining area is defined by numerous configurations of seating arrangements against a backdrop of warm teak wood panelling. The private dining area showcases wallpaper inspired by Bengal’s rich biodiversity, adding a layer of local character to the space.
The building’s warm white facade is brought to life through the sharp visual contrast created by the introduction of Juliet balconies and black Bahama shutters reminiscent of Bengal’s louvred, slatted khorkhori windows and graceful flutings. Black granite lines the reflection pools along the edge of the building, creating a serene central oasis filled with the sound of gently cascading water. These interventions convey a sense of refinement, order, and symmetry evocative of the many Neoclassical landmarks as well as the quaint homes that dot the old part of town.
From the distinctive elements that define its characteristic facade to the locally inspired motifs, details, and craftsmanship that enrich the guest experience, the design interventions at Taj Taal Kutir serve as a dialogue between Calcutta and Kolkata. The hotel celebrates the city’s rich architectural inheritance and colonial nostalgia while introducing fresh approaches that attempt to capture both the evolving hospitality landscape and the city’s own enduring legacy.
Fact file:
Name of the project: Taj Taal Kutir
Location: New Town, West Bengal
Area: 70,300 sq ft
Type: Hospitality
Design firm: Studio Lotus and Salient Design Studio
Design team: Asha Sairam, Ambrish Arora, Neelam Das, Zainab Zaidi, Rhythm Samanta, Tanushree Pillai, Sagar Chhabra, Aditi Panwar, Rushil Gupta, Meghna Sharma
Photography: Avesh Gaur
