Architect Tony Joseph is dressed in a laid-back manner: a loose black shirt, black jeans and shoes as he walked on to the stage at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, on March 31.
But the award he received was anything but laid-back. Tony received a prize for being among the 50 most influential architects and designers in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
A week earlier, Tony’s firm Stapati had also won a national award for excellence in hospitality and recreation by the Indian Institute of Architects for their work on the Xandari Harbour hotel in Mattancherry.
At the old town of Mattancherry, with its run-down godowns and narrow streets, Xandari fits in seamlessly. This is, no doubt, helped by the unobtrusive entrance. It is a large wooden door, which had belonged to one of the traditional houses of yore.
We wanted to retain the colonial fabric of the area,” says Tony. “However, we did not want a project that was all about restoration. We wanted to use the materials of today, like steel and glass.”
So, in the large restaurant, which is actually a converted warehouse, a lot of steel and glass has indeed been used. “We used bigger spans, so that the view of the harbour could be wide and clear,” he says.
The Xandari Harbour is one of the numerous projects that Stapati has done.
The others include the still-famous Kumarakom Lake Resort, Rainforest at Athirapally, Vythiri Resort, Wayanad, Brunton Boatyard at Fort Kochi, the Enchanted Island Resort in the Seychelles, and many others. Thus far, the firm has executed more than 200 projects in India, the UAE, and the Seychelles.
And he has some ardent fans. Says leading international architect Christopher C. Benninger, “Stapati’s creations are spiritual precincts, not mere locations or destinations. They are catalysts for self-discovery, not canned products like a ‘five-star hotel’. Each design derives itself from its natural context. Each retreat is inspired by its organic setting, from which it emerges from the earth.”Read more at:http://www.marieprom.co.uk/prom-dresses-2016-2017 | green prom dresses
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