Conde Nast Traveller: This new art villa and restaurant in Lonavala are worth the drive from Mumbai
The hill station of Lonavala is crowded with vacation villas. When the team at Le Sutra started work on their “art villa” they wanted to steer clear of the overused style tropes that abound here. Instead they decided to mix two influences that seem poles apart– Vastu and S.H Raza’s iconic motif, the bindu.
The existing site served as both a blank canvas and a source of inspiration for the design team: Shraddha Purnaye, an art curator and consultant based in Mumbai, Krupanand Karthik, craft designer based in Hyderabad, and Payal Gupta, an artist and designer based in Gurgaon.
Following the rules of Vastu, which focuses on balancing the energies of a space, the Northeast is open, the South-West is the highest point of the construction, all bathrooms are in the Western quarter and the bedrooms are Vastu compatible too.
With each room functioning as a separate art-filled enclave– aptly titled Gemica, Ceramica and Resonica– the art both anchors and enhances the Vaastu considerations.
Lonavala Villa: Vastu Symbols Abound
Mumbai-based artist Abhijit Salunke crafted ‘Celestia’, the piece that greets you in the foyer. Created with the repoussé and chasing technique on copper sheets, the two orbs are tribute to the celestial bodies of the sun and moon in their reds and blues. The main door has a brass handle designed as an abstraction of a Sri Yantra, a sacred geometric symbol.
In the living area, you are greeted by a Vaastu Purush Mandala and a shikhar. Carved in locally sourced basalt stone by Chetan Vaity, a Pune-based sculptor, the shikhar, is a spire usually seen at the top of temples. The floor mosaic below represents Vastu Purush, the deity of construction.
“The Vaastu Purusha Mandala spread extends from the South West corner to the North-East corner. The base was designed and created by our in-house design team,” explains Zara Arsiwalla, project manager. On the right side of the entrance, the ‘Sahasra’ installation acts as a balancing force in the design scheme. A Sanskrit word that means thousand or infinite, the piece has been created using metal, in an abstract representation of the opening of a thousand lotus petals.
Another backlit wonder in the living room is ‘Nirantar’, by Pune-based artist Ram Thorat. This circular painting symbolises oneness and unity.
However, the highlight of the living space is ‘Iris Wall’ by Ahmedabad-based artist Hansal Patel. “Here, we have abstracted the geometric diagrams of the chakras into the form of eyes. The vivid colours of the glass mosaic merge with each other to create a t distinct look. The gold foiling on the frame adds a dramatic touch,” says Arsiwalla.
Lonavala Villa: Gemica, Ceramica and Resonica
Created in ceramic with additional glazing by Krupanand and artist Manoj Sharma; the headboard in Ceramica, inspired by the Bindu imagery of S.H. Raza, is a montage of geometric patterns which consists of 38 ceramic pieces.
The headboard installation in Resonica was hand-carved in marble by Jaipur based artist Arvind Mishra. “The geometrical patterns with four and two-fold symmetries are formed by varying frequencies of vibration in each panel,” explains Arsiwalla.
Lonavala Villa: Sacred Symbols of the Outdoors
In the pool area, the mystical structure of yogini sits in her divine posture. This dramatic hand-carved basalt stone sculpture by Chetan Vaity is inspired by the neo-tantric style of Indian art.
“The lotus, in Indian art and culture, represents purity, enlightenment and rebirth. This unique piece has varying textures of rough and smooth and geometrical shapes that make it ever so striking,” explains Arsiwalla.
While the other end of the outdoor space, beyond the pool area, is purified by the Hand of Hamsa – an Iconic Islamic symbol.
“The Hand of Hamsa is a popular amulet used to ward off the evil or envious eye and bring good luck, fortune and health. This sculpture has been designed as an open hand in two parts. The top incorporates motifs of the five elements from nature, namely Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Space. The bottom of the palm contains motifs of birds and the third eye,” explains Arsiwalla.
