This is the third of a four-part series on placemaking, where we explore the forces that shape our cities and communities. In this article, <rt-red>we focus on how design can incorporate cultural and historical markers to reinforce a sense of place and belonging.<rt-red>
Context and identity are central to placemaking.
Successful placemaking initiatives extend beyond physical design interventions—they preserve and promote history, culture, and local traditions. This approach cultivates a greater sense of ownership, belonging, and pride amongst citizens, helping strengthen their emotional and cultural ties to the places they inhabit.
Urbanist Jane Jacobs was a trailblazer in this approach, particularly through her advocacy for protecting Hudson Street in Greenwich Village. Jacobs’ vision for cities revolved around the belief that the <rt-red>small, everyday interactions<rt-red> —the “theatre of everyday life,” as she described it—gave meaning to urban spaces. She opposed large-scale, top-down developments that erased this fabric of community living in favour of vehicle-centric infrastructure projects. Instead, Jacobs championed the protection of <rt-red>neighborhoods and sub-economies,<rt-red> recognizing that corner shops, local businesses, and vibrant street life were essential to a community’s character.
Identity in Studio Lotus Projects
At Studio Lotus, amongst other key tenets of placemaking, integrating cultural identity with contemporary needs has been a critical part of designing environments that are as socially inclusive as they are contextually rich.
In Jaipur, the facade of the Sunita Shekhawat Flagship Store and Gallery merges Rajputana, Mughal, and Art Deco influences to create a unique composite distinct from any particular style. <rt-red>The facade, made from Jodhpur red sandstone, serves as a physical manifestation of the city’s history, while the interior tells the story of Meenakari—a traditional craft passed down through generations.<rt-red>
Similarly, Krushi Bhawan in Bhubaneswar draws deeply from Odia craft traditions, using the building itself as a tribute to the region’s cultural heritage. The facade and interiors, crafted from locally sourced laterite and khondalite stone, feature intricate carvings that depict scenes from agrarian life and traditional Odia motifs, including patterns inspired by the region’s famed Ikat weaving. Throughout the building, elements such as dhokra-inspired metalwork and carved stone jaalis showcase the expertise of local artisans, embedding their craft into the building’s fabric. The design language of the project speaks to all strata of society–most critically to the farmers who are the primary user group, to whom the scale, materiality and craft narrative make the space relatable, approachable and comfortable, as against an overwhelming big-city experience.
Learning from Adaptive Reuse
Preserving the everyday life of cities extends to our work in Adaptive Reuse. A good example is our revitalization of Lakshmi Mills, a 21-acre cluster of defunct cotton mills in Coimbatore. By retaining the industrial elements of the mills, such as the original shells and exposed structural elements, we ensured that the building’s connection to its past remained intact and became a renewed source of joy and pride for the local community, and the city at large. The site, in its new avatar, has evolved into a bustling hub of commerce and community while still honouring its textile heritage.
Conclusion
Placemaking is about far more than simply designing spaces. Activating the invisible layers—the small, everyday exchanges between people and the local economies and communities that thrive on them—is what makes a city truly vibrant. <rt-red>By integrating these principles into our work—whether through adaptive reuse, celebrating local crafts, or weaving cultural markers into modern spaces—we can create environments that are functional but remain deeply connected to their pasts.<rt-red>
In the final blog of this series, we’ll explore how economic considerations and impact are shaping the future of placemaking, ensuring that cities grow responsibly while retaining their unique identities. Stay tuned!
