Surface Design Awards – Complete

• COMMERCIAL BUILDING - EXTERIOR
  Commercial Buildings that are used for commercial purposes, and include retail, hospitality, workplaces, factories and warehouses and buildings where commercial services are provided. At least 50 percent of the buildings’ floor space will be used for commercial activities.

Cost of the Project: 190 crores (approx.)
Completion Date: January, 2023
AIPL Joy Street has established itself as a one-stop entertainment hub for the residents of Gurgaon. With a design that steps beyond conventional malls, the open-concept mall enjoys a prime location on a 4-acre acutely angled site in Sector-66, with several residential projects in the vicinity. The planning of Joy Street was a keen design challenge, the main parameters of which were the creation of an experiential shopping destination with greater visibility to all shops and an imageability that aroused interest and excitement in the shopper.

Creating a Vibrant and Walkable Precinct

Divided into an assortment of functions on different floors, the building resolves the odd geometry of the plot by creating a stepped facade, thereby resulting in increased opportunities for interaction in the front as well as uniform internal courtyards. This staggered design of the built fabric increases the frontage of the retail area, which is divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary spaces, allowing for a dynamic array of retail spaces. The carefully designed open courts and plazas around the building serve as variously themed streets that bring a strong character to the space and increase the walkability of the visitors. One side of the site was turned into a thoroughfare so as to create easy vehicular access from the rear lane, also helping create a more lively space at the rear of the building. Separating the vehicular and pedestrian traffic in this way, the other side of the site was designed as a strictly pedestrian plaza. A 10-metre wide setback from the edge of the site also helped in laying out a fun and interactive pedestrian zone and spill-out area for the shops. The shoppers’ experience is enhanced by the alfresco seating, the performance space, and interplay of greens and water features, and vibrant murals painted on the boundary walls.

Where Modern Built-form Aligns with Quirky Material Palette

Breaking away from the commonly found boxes of glass and steel, this new-age shopping precinct embodies a Disney-meets-Mediterranean flavour in its colour palette and built volume elements. Adding to the dynamism of the facade is the clock tower rising on the West corner of the building, providing shade to the Food Street on the ground floor by virtue of its position on the plot. Along with installing strips of humidifiers, this is one of many ways the building creates self-shading and thus thermal comfort against the hot and dry climate typical of its context. The opposite side of the building creates an entirely different visual environment with an open staircase that runs adjacent to several shop windows. The two ends of the facade come together to combine all the elements into a dynamic composition.

A Vertical City with Something for Everyone

The lower three levels of the tower house the multiplex, whereas the food court spans the entire second floor, offering everything from local street fairs to fine dining. The bar counter, running the entire length of the frontage, offers a panoramic view of the surrounding cityscape. The court opens onto an expansive terrace that provides a visual treat and a point of attraction to those driving on the road adjacent to the site, while cosy alcoves provide a more private setting. Floors five to eight have dedicated office spaces with flexible areas combined with a wide array of amenities. The top nine floors are dedicated to luxury serviced apartments that are fully furnished and decorated to provide sophisticated yet comfortable living. The 320 square feet of tastefully finished studios boast spectacular city views from every room. The top floor houses a luxury spa and a calming pool offering a breathtaking view. The rooftop cafe and bar are the perfect setting to unwind after a long day, making Joy Street a complete destination offering work, play, leisure, and shopping all at once, under the same roof.

Materials that Boost Visual Merchandising and Daylight Accentuation: The building facade employs a quirky material palette to complement the built-form of this modern precinct. To bring forth the Disney-inspired Mediterranean theme of the project, Saint Gobain shingles tiles, Juprana stone cladding, and Random ashlar tile cladding have been used to balance the Mediaeval appeal. Additionally, GRC jaalis, MS Louvers and Glass Canopies have been employed to accentuate daylight and reveal the textural qualities of the facade.
Elevating the Art and Aesthetics: Further, an aesthetic mosaic tile arrangement is composed at the entrance of the building. As the name suggests, the ‘Joyous’ bit of ‘Joy Street’ is reflected in the quirky colour palette which uses vibrant shades of yellow, green, and orange throughout the facade, which gives it an iconic appeal as a landmark in the area.
Blurring the Boundaries between Indoors and Outdoors: Complementing the external facade, the interior spatial surfaces use materials such as Raw Silk Granite, Ashlar Cladding, Ruby Red Juprana stone, Gwalior Mint stone, brick cladding, and MS Railings that transcends visitors to the confines of an ancient Mediterranean town.

Conceptual Site Studies: The building massing is done after the analysis of numerous sun-diagram studies that led to the design of the Clock Tower rising on the West corner of the building, which provides shade to Food Street on the ground floor by virtue of its position on the plot. This enables the food court, and plazas to be shaded even in the harsh afternoon sun, enabling a comfortable pedestrian movement.

Creating a microclimate: Responding to the hot climate in the precinct, we added moisture to lower the ambient temperature for regulating a comforting microclimate via humidifiers and a strategic planting of a diverse range of vegetation. These strips of humidifiers and a sophisticated network of mist sprays have been installed so that people can enjoy outdoor seating throughout the day. Self-shading, and creating thermally ambient conditions for outdoor movement that encourages people to enjoy the retail facility as a public space too.

FAR Maximisation: Due to the limited space on site for development, necessitating the maximisation of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR). To accommodate the additional FAR, we decided to incorporate hotel and office towers above the multiplex and auditorium areas, which presented notable structural complexities. The design demanded larger spans within the auditoriums while accommodating various amenities such as rooms, restrooms, and service shafts within a confined space above a tall structure. This structural puzzle posed a considerable challenge, requiring innovative solutions to ensure both safety and functionality.

Harmonising Aesthetics and Stability: Incorporating architectural elements onto a rigid façade was challenging. We ensured that these elements looked aesthetically pleasing while maintaining structural stability.
Strategic planning overlaps marketing: The planning of AIPL Joy Street was a keen design challenge, the main parameters of which were the creation of an experiential shopping destination with greater visibility to all shops and an imageability that aroused interest and excitement in the shopper.
Systematic stacking allowing organised retail: The frontage of the retail area, which is divided into primary, secondary and tertiary spaces, allowing for a dynamic array of retail spaces and even exposure to multiple outlets promoting fair trade that isn’t limited by location.
Inquisitive exploration of the Facility: The carefully designed open courts and plazas around the building serve as variously themed streets bringing a strong character to the space and increase the walkability of the visitors thus making them explore the site evenly.

AIPL Joystreet is a one-stop entertainment hub that prioritises functionality and practicality by providing:
Enhanced visibility: Stepped design, provides greater visibility to the Mixed use development (Retail, offices, and service apartment) ensuring a great opportunity for visual merchandising.
Organised chaos to garner footfall: A 10-metre wide setback from the edge of the site also helped in laying out a fun and interactive pedestrian zone and spill-out area for the shops. A vibe of the bustling flea markets without vehicular infiltration invites shoppers on foot to the facility.