Uttor Kolkata

The project transforms a two-storey residence in the Salt Lake into a commercially successful public destination, an event, performance and hospitality space that is firmly rooted in the traditional Bengali traditions.

The main challenge was how, with minimal intervention, the project can transform a building with a small footprint yet high visibility and commercial potential into a unique space and experience. The first stage was to use the concept of Retrofitting as the core idea - maximising existing assets yet value adding to the entire place. Structural retrofitting increased the available space and the addition of a new staircase and elevator improved accessibility. Various spatial elements from the traditional North Kolkata were collected and installed (doors and windows, railings, flooring, switches, etc). These act as cues that setup the spatial experience. Different functional uses are conceived in the different spaces within the new project. Familiar social interaction forms such as the adda, the baithak and the sabha are reintroduced.

Our approach here revives memories and experiences by reusing familiar components, architectural forms and elements to weave an exciting narrative of erstwhile North Kolkata. Together, Uttor Kolkata becomes a porous island of extended public space that creates a sustained dialogue between the building and the street, between people and space, between the past and the present. It is a space to relive nostalgic memories, or to experience the past in all its senses.

Location: IB Block, Salt Lake City, Kolkata
Client: RN Panda and TAA
Year: 2020-ongoing