Tandus

Crisp clean design, sharp edges, water elements and glass were emphasized. The communication barrier tends to make it difficult to get a good sense of what the designers were thinking.

We met with one of the National Living Design treasures in the architectural community.  I think a lot was lost in translation as there were no words for Inunison, Fractional Luxury and New Austerity. What was not lost in translation was that we needed to Rethink, Reposition and Refocus our presentation to his interests. What had worked up until that moment was no longer relevant.

Malls: We visited malls like you see in the suburban U.S., as well as vertical malls. Very luxurious neutral finishes and textured carpets were used throughout the Shin-Maru Building. Luxurious drapery, stone and wood as well. A much broader range of color and carpets were used in the suburban mall settings. Very similar constructions and looks to what was used in K-12 or healthcare of the 90’s. We counted 18 different carpets used in various colors, patterns, cut in shapes and sizes in one mall!

Everyone here has a smile on his or her face. Fresh flowers and plants scatter the landscape and interiors. Dining al fresco is universal. We passed 3 pristine golf courses and a Singapore version of Rodeo Drive, Orchard Road, with Prada, Armani, Banana Republic and Starbucks. Business is fast here and there is an abundance of it. Internationally acclaimed architects are being commissioned all over this island. Hospitality is huge here, as is its planning and design.

Instead of the cool grey values of Shanghai and Tokyo, warm and dark taupes were on the boards. We visited sleek black design offices that housed beautiful Asian antiques as artwork. Most of the firms wanted to see something colorful, new and different. They were not afraid, nor were their clients, of color or pattern.

Shop Houses: The city’s shop houses, which once housed families on each floor, had center atriums and were charming. These were the remnants of the past, luckily they still exist, now housing design offices, restaurants, corporate offices and residential apartments. The atriums, which were once draped with hanging laundry, were now used as sculpture gardens and allow light and ventilation into all the rooms. Singapore has world-class restaurants, which were designed with up to date finishes of tile, glass, wood, bamboo and new materials. If pink is the navy blue of India, orange is the navy blue of Singapore.

Bangalore, referred to as the “Garden City” in India, was our favorite stop. The diversity of people we encountered was infinite. The city is very chaotic, yet so simple and pure at the same time. Our host said as we arrived, “this is the smell of India”. The scent is a mixture of dust, spices and mildew. It was like a dye bath used when dyeing fibers. I felt right at home.

Color: the trucks, the cloths, and the temples - women in saris walked barefoot down the streets with baskets on their heads and motorized rickshaws and motorcycles were alongside us, sharing the road with cows and oxen-drawn carts.

Whitfield Area: within 15 miles of the city, there are big building complexes that are built using wooden scaffolding and tresses to hold up the floors. These contemporary buildings use a blue glass to keep light from pouring into spaces and use beautiful white marble throughout their entrances, floors, walls and ceilings. Modern cityscapes are being built just a few miles from broken down shanties with open sewage pipes running into the water streams. The extremes were profound.

The design community is full of life. Designers everywhere were polite yet very vocal. They are grounded in dialogue, and wanted to talk and tell us what they liked and didn’t like, as well as what they would use and wouldn’t use. This type of open discussion was just what we needed after our long journey. The design firms working internationally with major corporations asked for more color and pattern. The corporate standards request was to make interiors reflect the Indian aesthetic; therefore, different types of Asian motifs are being requested, while vivid color is used as an accent.

Billboards and Bollywood, Indian Monsoons - the rain finally found us. Hearing all about Asia and monsoons in the summer, we came to find out in India the monsoon season is between July and September. No work on this day, our only day of real sightseeing. So our first stop was lunch and I must admit, it was the most delicious meal of our journey, all grilled seafood. The next destination was the Mumbai Gymkhana, a country club that overlooks cricket fields, a game the Indians are very passionate about, and is a relic of the colonial days. It is a beautiful sprawling structure in the middle of Mumbai. Thankfully, we were also able to stop at the Taj Mahal hotel and The Gateway of India. This is a massive hotel with Indian relics, intricate craftsmanship and woodwork. Ganesh statues at the entranceways swayed any obstacles that came their way, and I overheard that power was the aphrodisiac here, not money. We drove the Queens Necklace along the waterfront with its few cosmopolitan high rises overlooking the Gateway Arch. That evening an introduction was arranged with an Indian architect who spent much of his early career with Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a delight to spar with as we discussed design, architecture and politics. (His take on current US politics was not at all what we expected!)

Our journey came to an end here in Mumbai, but the things we learned and the people we met, will be a part of us for some time to come. As designers, your inspiration for your work comes from many different sources. A song, a book, a comment from someone we meet on the street… anything that may spark our creative senses. Our journey to Asia has taught Terry and I that while the design world reaches across countries and borders, each place has its own design signature, which is a reflection of the various human and natural canvasses each culture has to offer.