<h5-red>CLIENT<h5-red> I BIRD GROUP – BIRD HOSPITALITY I <h5-red>AREA<h5-red> (BUILT-UP) 4,500 SQ FT I <h5-red>STATUS<h5-red> COMPLETED | <h5-red>PHOTOGRAPHER<h5-red> SURYAN//DANG | <h5-red>TEAM<h5-red> ANKUR CHOKSI, PANKHURI GOEL, PARIJA CHANDRA, MALIKA GROVER
The Upstage Club re-examines the role of clubs as shared work and leisure destinations that can serve as catalysts for conversations, and create new opportunities for business and growth. The members-only club is <rt-red>designed to consolidate all services of the Bird Hospitality group's flagship brand Roseate House under one roof. It is envisioned as a nexus for work, business and leisure in the capital's Aerocity.<rt-red>
The club forms a part of the property's entertainment offering, serving as a precursor to an auditorium, with a plush mini-theatre hosting exclusive movie screenings. It, therefore, becomes the social hub that unites the brand's numerous amenities through a semi-formal plug-and-play setting — <rt-red>a co-working space by day that transforms into a bar and lounge in the evenings. The functional programme accommodates open, versatile, and flexible workplace configurations in combination with private pockets, allowing members to tailor the space to suit their needs.<rt-red>
Upon entering, visitors are welcomed by <rt-red>a five-metre-long brass reception-cum-bar counter accented with horizontal bands, that forms the focal point of the design scheme. A news ticker atop the bar counter displays the name of the movie being screened at any given time,<rt-red> connecting the lounge to other leisure facilities at the hotel. Extrapolating the form of the bar counter, <rt-red>rings of suspended lights are fashioned to form a geometric installation that spans the ceiling.<rt-red>
The reception and bar are flanked by one wing comprising <rt-red>an informal lounge and dining space, and the other featuring hot-desking areas, an independent cabin and a meeting room. The back wall is articulated in vertical ribs of fabric cladding<rt-red> and serves as a constant backdrop to the experience. <rt-red>Niches are carved out to create two-seater booths and private pods<rt-red>, as well as a full-height library with timber shelves, which frames the bar and uplifts the otherwise neutral palette. <rt-red>Carpets in deep indigo further add a pop of colour<rt-red>, uniting the visual vocabulary at the Upstage Club.
<rt-red>Unitello marble in the corridors<rt-red> extends to the floor plate, while an ash grey and brown colour palette defines the walls and upholstered furniture. <rt-red>Elements such as door handles, light fixtures and table tops feature brass trims, imbuing the space with a hint of luxury.<rt-red> Table lamps in the pods and wooden furniture combined with brass accents break free from the relatively austere aesthetic to render the interiors with relaxed warmth and illumination.
