Kaze, The Sky Lounge, is a state-of-the-art development project at Phoenix Kessaku, Bangalore. Inspired by the Japanese principle of shibui – beauty in simplicity; it’s name, meaning “Masterpiece”, is aptly given.
The lounge takes inspiration from – the city, the people, nature and culture, seamlessly integrating design, art and multi-functional spaces. Designer – Rakhi M hoped to bring something new, exciting and luxurious to this project, resulting in a sense of experiential lifestyle for the residents.
Overall, The Sky Club has an indoor infinity pool, a fitness centre, a yoga deck, a pool lounge, a bar and a spa. But, the cherry on this wonderful cake is definitely the spectacular view that graces its users with every glance from this zenith.
The five towers
Architecturally, the building comprises five towers; Sora, Niwa, Mizu, Faia and Zefa, culminating into The Sky Club. Reminiscent of its namesake, the spaces flow into each other at Kaze, a series of communal areas creatively conceived to draw in inhabitants and guests alike.
The heart of Kaze- The Sky Club
At the heart of Kaze- The Sky Club is the Lounge, which opens onto the pool deck. The pool deck is elevated compared to the rest of the area. The space is amply lit by the openings on both sides and the pool has a skylight. The bar table is centrally placed, between the pool deck and lounge, right at the line of level change. One can access it from the pool deck as well as from the Lounge. Exotic black marble with a stunning stripy grain structure forms the flooring and the walls are largely intriguing marriages of texture and colour and grains of various marbles and marble mosaics.
Bar accents
The bar table stands like a sculptural piece, allowing the space to flow towards the deck side. The Bar table is uniquely designed with black and red marble and dominant gold and black accents. The triangular section of the counter is supported by metal in high gloss gold finish and marble pieces. On the poolside, the bar counter apron is in ribbed gold look with black joints. To bring gold into the interior, we installed various brass fixtures throughout the space. Brass has also been used to craft the chunky surface top of a large table.
Balance is an essential element of design. While layering, we endeavoured to keep the statement furniture on a quieter wall and choose art with neutral borders, allowing the abstract part to shine against some of the busy walls. The lounge chairs and sofa are mostly coloured blocks juxtaposed with busy walls and floors. The ceiling is also quieter but not devoid of detailing. The not-so-high ceiling of the Lounge is uniformly finished in grey paint with a peculiar pattern overlaid by various grooves, creating a subtle detail to balance the heavy walls and floors.
The lounge is water-friendly. The furnishings were chosen for comfort and durability. The wooden pool deck is made in an understated pattern and forms a neutral foreground or background, depending on your vantage point, to a gorgeous, sparkling pool. The pool basin is richly crafted with the finest glass mosaic in a contemporary pattern, almost like an abstract painting. For the sake of convenience, the washroom block is placed close to the pool area.
Visual connections
The sky light above the pool allows ample daylight and enhances the beauty of the mosaics. It forms a strong visual connection to the sky, which is a must-have experience on a starry evening. The pool is accessorized with water cannons and has a dedicated jacuzzi to relax one’s senses. Close to the pool, is a washroom block which can be accessed from Niwa Lobby, finished in carefully sourced exquisite marble and metal mosaics.
An uninterrupted design flow
The Mizu lobby flows into the Faia Lobby. Niwa and Faia have similar designs to maintain a sense of cohesiveness. They have daylit lobbies awash in exotic black marble with beautiful grains. The floor is embossed with an abstract modern motif, infusing maroon and beige colors and radiating very arty vibes. This in turn is richly emphasized with dull and glossy copper and gold metallic accents. One can access the spa through the Faia lobby. Faia has metal ‘jalli’ panels, layered on the antique gold and copper wallpaper on the wall opposite to the doors that lead to the spa. This creates a sense of anticipation for the design language inside the spa.
Soothing spas
On venturing into the spa, the atmosphere condenses to form an earthy respite of grained-black marble, laid in a striking chevron pattern with white marble inlays. The walls are adorned by handcrafted textured mosaics made from rich marble. In the Entire project we have created unique details by having fun with inherent properties of marbles , its beautiful unique grains, some are created by having a level play between different marble types, and some by creating special inserts by double side polished marbles.
The spa also boasts custom-made ribbed-glass doors and screens. The wellness room is designed to engage all the five senses and detach the visitor from the tech-driven world we inhabit. The wellness rooms have a glass wall, providing a connection to the great outdoors.
Alluring landscape
The club’s built mass is encircled by a jogging track and landscaped area at both ends with a couple of landscaped pockets in-between, due to which all interior spaces feel connected with the outdoor areas. Guests can enjoy views of nearby landmarks from the rooftop terrace.
The end of the horse-shoe building has a Gazebo, with a fireplace. It creates a spot that is completely Instagrammable – an ideal place to experience the surrounding views with all the senses; to establish a sophisticated relationship with nature.
