主创设计师Akshat Bhatt表示：“利用被遗忘的事物并赋予它新生命是有趣的：这是回收利用的时代。不断生产新事物的空间、森林和水不再充足，因此利用旧事物并让它变得特别吧。”基于这种想法，位于新德里中心地带奥赫拉的Rug Republic总部的设计回应了工业环境，形成一份我们给城市带来什么的控诉。业主的要求是以有限的预算和最小的干预使现有的破旧建筑再次投入使用，因此设计师着重修复可用空间，清除布局的临时变动并拆除前住户所做的楼层改造。

“It’s fascinating to take something forgotten and to give it new life: This is the century of recuperation. There is no space, no forests, no water anymore for continuous production of new things. So, take something old and make it special.” says Akshat Bhatt, Principal Architect. Emerging from this thought, the design of the Rug Republic headquarters in Okhla, in the heart of New Delhi is a reaction to its industrial setting: an indictment of what we have brought our cities to. The brief presented by the client was to make the existing dilapidated building usable again, within a limited budget and with minimal interventions. Hence, a great emphasis has been placed on reclaiming the usable spaces, by undoing ad-hoc alterations in the building’s spatial layout and removing layers of the flooring that was done by its previous occupants.

▼项目鸟瞰，aerial view of the project © Architecture Discipline

变压器抽头般的外观是设计师对仓库的重新诠释，这种表达源于他对周围环境的理解及其带来的挑战。奥赫拉周围环境恶劣，设计师将其看做战区，利用金属外壳包裹在结构周围，保护内部免受恶劣环境的影响，从而使一座内向型建筑在基地毫无趣味的工业天际线中找的了合理性。此外，基地附近猴子产生的刺鼻气味和喧闹声要求该项目区别于传统的玻璃建筑，避免立面出现大面积开窗。外立面采用耐候钢材质的曲面，与外界保持视觉联系。网链透过少量的日光并防止猴子进入室内。一层入口旁采用易于维护且坚固的切面花岗岩。

The design, a weeping transformer, is a reinterpretation of an expression of warehouses that emerges out of the architect’s understanding of the physical context and the challenges it posed. By equating Okhla to a war zone, a metal shell has been enveloped around the structure to protect the interiors from the hostile and acrid environment. An inward-looking building, therefore, finds its justification in the site’s industrial skyline that offers nothing of visual interest at eye levels. Furthermore, acrid air quality and ruckus created by the monkeys in the neighbourhood demanded a deviation from the conventional glass architecture and prevented large openings on the facade. On the exterior facade, a visual connection to the outside has been maintained using controlled apertures crafted in corten steel. The jaali allows minimal daylight to penetrate within and prevent monkeys from entering the premises. However, on the lower floor near the entrance, split-face granite stones have been used for their ease of maintenance and rigidity.

▼封闭的耐候钢外壳，the closed shell crafted in corten steel © Architecture Discipline

▼入口旁采用花岗岩，the granite stones have been used near the entrance © Architecture Discipline

▼表皮细部，details of the surface © Architecture Discipline

▼入口旁的集装箱，the container by the entrance © Architecture Discipline

▼集装箱内部，inside view of the container © Architecture Discipline

建筑内部空间以旋转楼梯为中心，楼梯的曲面形成与直线天花形成强烈的对比，在所有楼层之间建立起视觉连接。弯曲的形式进一步体现在外立面上，有助于吸引人们的注意力。空间组织具有明确的层级。办公室和临时展厅等常用空间设置在一层，用于展示公司产品的永久展厅和私人办公室设置在上层。两个集装箱被设计成休息空间和小型露台，面向远处的绿色景观。

Within the building, the movement is centred around a helical staircase, thereby a curved aperture creates a sharp contrast against the rectilinear ceiling and establishes a visual connection between all floors. The curved form is further reflected on the exterior facade and helps draw the eye towards it. There is a well-defined hierarchy in the spatial organisation. Frequently used spaces such as offices and temporary exhibitions are housed on the ground floor, while permanent exhibitions for the company’s diverse products and private office cubicles are accommodated on the upper levels. Two container areas have been designed as a spillover space during the work breaks and a small terrace provides views of the distant greens.

▼旋转楼梯，the helical staircase © Architecture Discipline

▼楼梯内部，inside view of the staircase © Architecture Discipline

▼办公室和临时展厅，the offices and temporary exhibitions © Architecture Discipline

这座建筑是为最大的地毯和软体家具国际出口商之一设计的，因此其设计理念是打造裸露的外壳，形成不受干扰的展示背景。展厅通过裸露的黑色背景、钢筋笼以及其他低造价的干预措施打造未完成的空间美学。此外，临时干预措施还提升了室内布局的灵活性。地面采用耐火砖，以便后续拆卸。

Since the building has been designed for one of the largest international exporters of rugs and soft furniture, the idea was to create a bare shell that generates a non-intrusive backdrop to celebrate their exquisite work. This has been enabled using bare black interiors, rebar cage and other inexpensive interventions for the exhibition that offer unfinished aesthetics to the space. Furthermore, the use of temporary interventions adds to a degree of flexibility to the internal layout. The floors are lined using fire bricks to allow ease of removal for re-working in the future.

▼永久展厅，the permanent exhibitions © Architecture Discipline

▼灵活多变的地毯展示区，the flexible rug display areas © Architecture Discipline

▼裸露的黑色背景与耐火砖地面，the bare black interiors and the floors made of fire bricks © Architecture Discipline

这座建筑反映了当下，给人们留下深刻的印象。它被设计成保护性的盔甲，几乎看不到外面的景色，远离恶劣的环境和难闻的气味。如此一来，它提出了紧迫的问题：“我们已经让自己陷入这种境地了吗？即便如此，我们还可以使它更有趣吗？”比起隐藏在玻璃和花岗岩表面之下，该设计更想呈现吸引来访者的后工业表达。精心设计的干预措施为旧结构注入新生命，使其适应未来几年的发展。

The building is a reflection of the current time and creates a strong impression with the onlooker. It has been designed as a protective armour offering very little views of the outside, keeping the hostile and acrid environment away. By doing so, it puts forth a pressing question “have we brought ourselves to this? And, even if we have, can we still make it interesting?” Instead of hiding under a veil of glass and granite, the design aims to make a post-industrial statement that would intrigue the visitor. With carefully engineered design interventions, a new life has been leased to the structure and made it pertinent for years to come.

▼顶层展厅与室外相通，the exhibition on the top floor is open to the outside © Architecture Discipline

▼细部，details © Architecture Discipline

Project size: 20000 ft2 Site size: 13500 ft2 Completion date: 2020 Architects: Architecture Discipline