- PROJECT NAME : Priayadarshini Hotel
- PROJECT BY: Architecture Continuous
- PRINCIPAL DESIGNER:Ar.Adithya G Kashyap
- STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT:Eco Consultants Mr.Praveen Kumar
- BUILD AREA:50000 sft
- SITE AREA:50000 sft
- DESIGN TEAM:Sharada Seshadri ,Pallavi Patil ,Kiran Joshi ,Kavitha Raju
- YEAR OF COMPLETION:2017
- PROJECT COST:12 crores
- PHOTOGRAPHY:Frames by Harsh. Mr.Harsh Sharma
A simple yet elegant edifice stands on one of the busiest quarters of the city. The urban sounds of people and accelerated traffic can be detected on the streets. However once inside, you are most likely to forget the hustle-bustle hums from the locale. This facility has witnessed its guests enjoy the quiet and emptiness with their families, the business class appreciate the value and comfort while the carefree tourists both domestic and foreign getting to taste the local delicious vegetarian cuisine and hospitality. This is Hotel Priyadarshini located at ‘Hosapete’, Karnataka, just a few miles away from the famed world heritage site ‘Hampi’ which is flocked by travellers from across the globe.
Having established a remarkable presence in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, Hotel Priyadarshini group aspired to upgrade their facility that can welcome the guests to experience a reposeful and a memorable stay at ‘Hosapete’. Being the first ever hotel to be founded in city, under the flagship brand name Hotel Priyadarshini, this was an esteemed project envisioned by Mr Srinivas Rao the Managing director of the group. The programmatic requirements for this hospitality facilty included renovating the existing hotel “Priyadarshini Classic” and designing a new wing Priyadarshini Pride with a total 114 rooms. The client was also keen to refurbish “Naivedyam” the vegetarian restauarant to strengthen their presence in Hosapete. Mr.Srinivas Rao sought a design which blends together the traditions of past with the comforts of present. The client believed that the facility should be an extension of their three-decade long commitment to the finest traditions of Vijayanagara hospitality.
Built in 1520 AD on the banks of Tungabhadra river by the king Krishna Deva Raya, one of the greatest rulers of Vijayanagar Empire to honour the memory of his mother, ‘Hosapete’ has a significant role in the history of India. The famed UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Hampi’ the former capital of Vijaya Nagar Empire which was a prosperous, wealthy and a grand city is located 12 kms from Hosapete. Hampi was the world’s second largest medieval era city after Beijing;It was the centre of flourishing trade and probably India’s richest at that time attracting merchants from Portugal and Persia. Hosapete was the main entrance to the city of Vijayanagara for travellers coming from Goa and West Coast.
The fresh green softcaped gardens amalgamated tastefully with locally mined granite elements create smart and striking visuals that invites the guests at this facilty. Traditional stone pillars with ornate column capitals reclaimed from old structures embellish the entrance way that helps in enrapturing the guests to a nostalgic bygone era. Retaining the native-culturally important tree species including the sacred coconut trees on site was a conscious decision by the client and the architect to respect and nurture the various life forms- insects, birds, mammals like squirrels that have thrived on that micro habitat. As visitors move through the main entrance stairway to the building, they are greeted by a one of its kind landscape design element a natural vertical garden without pots or planter box but plants on a vertically anchored mud wall which stands as a backdrop for a lovely lily pond.
In total contrast to the noisy street on front, careful-strategic zoning and planning of the new wing ensured privacy and super quiet spaces–the features rated high among guests in any hospitality facility. This zone-Priyadarshini Pride - houses a simple reception lobby, Conference room, Banquet hall for events that can accommodate around 300 people and 34 luxury rooms and suites for guests. Despite the premium value of real estate the client was non-compromising and was very specific about spacious rooms and bathrooms which have resonated quite well with the guests who in turn have turned out to be good ambassadors for the hotel through their positive feedback. Mr.Srinivas Rao was also particular about the ‘Vasthu’ compliance not only at the macro building level but at a micro level of private spaces, orientation of furniture, beds, doors and toilets to balance the bio energy of spaces. Surprisingly,the client later shared with us that this integration of ‘Vasthu’-principles has ensured that the facility gets high rating on sleep index based on the feedback received by the guests.
As the sun sets over the façade of the building, it washes through the glazed fenestrations colouring the interior walls bright amber yellow. The unpretentious building fascia and the soft built environment around it delights an onlooker through its simplicity and gently reminds us of the virtues of moderation and sombreness.
The interior design of the new wing was inspired by subtle retro styling to create an exciting experience of freshness, open-mindedness, inventiveness intended at rejuvenating the tourists and travellers. The reception and the waiting lobby observe the arrival of tired guests who are received at the seamless white corian welcome desk; Soft furnishings infused with neutral colours have been paired with oversized retro inspired luminaires, splash of bright colours here and there, textured walls with patterns to create a laid-back, arty feel. The Super-quiet rooms display an eclectic mix of old styles and new forms and finishes ; this coupled with the TresPligues ‘curtains’ with pastel colours and retro furnishings and lighting fixtures gives this place the sleek, svelte looks.
The decision to adopt Fly ash block walls as against brick walls aided in designing a lighter RCC framed structure.A structural challenge was posed by the a unique functional requirement peculiar to hospitality design; This involved positioning closely spaced network of columns on the guest room floors over and above large column free spans of the banquet hall. Mr PraveenKumar director of Eco Consultants came up with an ingenious solution by planning floating columns and also introduced an entire 12 feet wide service floor that has been suspended/anchored from the top floor without the support of underlying columns. Thus Structural design was an opportunity to tread into few unexplored realms.
The Facility also hosts ‘Naivedyam’ which is a destination of the finest and most authentic South Indian gastronomical experiences. Naivedyam, a Sanskrit term meaning supplication, is food offered to God as part of a worship ritual, before eating it. It is considered as the purest preparation done with complete care and love to give a flavor and experience above all. True to its name, the vegetarian restaurant has an understated elegant interiors; double height walls have been embellished with creative handmade sketches of Hampi edifices by local artisans; simple furnishings and curvy ceilings that are fluid in nature and appeal is a design-conscious delight, which has successfully hit the right notes with the locals and foreigners alike.
Hotel Priyadarshini- has become a landmark facility at ‘Hosapete’ as it reflects its cultural context in a subtle way; it’s a balanced design evolved out of a meditative attitude towards climate, geography, history, materials, objects and most importantly people. It has responded well to the aspirations of the client, endusers- travellers, visitors and locals which is echoed by their optimistic response and feedback. It’s a humbling experience for the architects to note that the testimonials given by the guests give evidence of happiness to which architecture and mindful design has made its distinctive contribution.
