A Vivid Façade Swathed in a Riot of Colours

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Aira is a boutique hotel with forty guest rooms spread over five floors located in the commercial heart of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. With many concrete structures around, the hotel wasn’t getting the prominence it deserved. The client wanted the hotel to stand out visually. To address this issue, the designer, Shankar Narayan Architects, created a layer of colourful panels over the building façade. It was a visual element that would be memorable and longlasting.

The Challenge:

One major factor that the architect considered before starting the renovation was the harsh sunlight of Vijayawada. Some of the primary challenges in panel formation were:

Ensuring free movement of air through the panels and at the same time allowing privacy in the road facing rooms.
Providing shade to the hotel’s façade
Creating a dynamic effect by allowing gentle movement of the panels and yet making sure the structure is strong.

The Solution: Shankar Narayan Architects developed an elaborate plan that ticked off all the project requirements and the associated challenges. It facilitated aesthetic appeal, all-weather resistance and functional results. The project panned out on the following lines:

Colour transition: The colour layout was planned in a manner to reveal the transition from blue (representing water) on the north east side and orange (representing sun) on the south east side.
Optimal usage of materials: Square panels of optimum sizes were riveted to stainless steel wire rope cables pulled between two MS box section frames forty feet apart in elevation.
Dynamic effect: Creating a moving effect in such a way that the panels swayed slightly along with the breeze, but rotation was avoided through interconnection of the panels.
Airflow: The panels were perforated with creative patterns to enable smooth air flow and give a light and shade effect to the building.

FunderMax Composite Laminate panels were chosen for the following reasons:

Light weight, weather proof, flame retardant and unbreakable
Available in a range of colours and thicknesses
Non fading, bright, unicolour decor range
Easy to cut and perforate without the risk of delamination
Easily replaceable in case of need

The Result:

The new creative and unique facade resulted in an uptick in brand recognition of hotel Aira and consequently, guest inflow. It was an exciting culmination of team work – a bold client and creative architectural vision that was brought to life by FunderMax.

The Architect: Shankar Narayan Architects is one of the most respected and recognized architectural firms in Hyderabad. For over quarter of a century, the firm has worked on a wide spectrum of projects including a railway station, campuses, institutional, industrial and corporate interiors, independent residences and even an animal shelter for an NGO. The practice, headed by Mr. G. Shankar Narayan is known for its innovative design approach, costeffective construction techniques, professionalism and financial integrity. The firm relies on the fundamentals of space, proportion, light and an honest use of materials to create a sense of belonging for the occupant.

QUICK FACTS

Project: Hotel Aira
Location: Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh
Architect: Shankar Narayan Architects
Material used: FunderMax 0085 White, 0702 Night Blue, 0712 Steel Blue, 0689 Dark Red, 0736 Saffron
Area: 500 sqm
Applications: Perforated Façade

Architect G Shankar Narayan

We wanted to create an element of dynamism. As the panels were designed to move with the breeze, perforations were made to reduce the wind resistance and interesting patterns were created by the perforations with light and shade patterns.