Wallpaper*

Immersing herself in nature taught this landscape architect ‘more than any lecture ever could’

Indian landscape architect Varna Shashidhar, founder and principal of Bengaluru studio VSLA, didn’t always know that her heart – and hands – belonged outdoors. But by the time she earned her master’s in landscape architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 2006, she was sure of one thing: a desk job in an air-conditioned office just wasn’t on the cards. ‘Harvard introduced me to fantastic friends and mentors, and led me to the best scientists, ecologists and designers at the cutting...

The top 10 architecture stories of the year: who, what, where and why?

For the top 10 architecture stories of 2024, look no further; we researched, reviewed and reflected to present you with some of the most-read news and features that dominated the headlines of the Wallpaper* world in the past year.The old and the new meet in our pick of the year's finest architecture stories. New cultural institutions, rediscovered modernist marvels, world-class transport infrastructure, interviews, and our annual Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory – all form part of the architectu...

STO.M.P on the architecture studio's work, love of craftmanship and 'the cinematic details'

Husband-and-wife architect duo Vignesh Sekar and Shamini Vignesh love to relax with a good movie, but their weekly routine doesn’t always involve a Coke apiece and a giant tub of popcorn. ‘We love to lean into the cinematic details—the camera angles, the quality of light, the artistic sensibility,’ says Vignesh.The founders and principals of STO.M.P (short for Studio for Modernism & Practical Aesthetics), based in the southern Indian city of Madurai, approach a site in much the same way a cinema...

An Indian mud house and more natural architectural wonders from Sketch Design Studio in Rajasthan

If her weekend home is any indication, it’s safe to assume that Rajasthan-based interior designer Shipra Singhania likes to put her money where her mouth is. In 2023, the founder and principal of Sketch Design Studio, a natural building and interior design practice she established in 2014, used kitchen ingredients to build her family’s pied-à-terre on a four-acre permaculture farm in Alwar, Rajasthan.She conjured the structure with nothing more than mud, lime, and edibles such as neem, jaggery,...

Wallpaper* • 16th December 2024

North Studio’s Rahul Bhushan: ‘I’m just a simple boy with a big dream – to make the world a better place’

If you dropped North Studio’s Rahul Bhushan in the middle of a forest with no food or water, by the end of the week, he’ll have designed a sustainable treehouse, started a wildlife yoga retreat, and convinced the squirrels to invest in eco-friendly architecture. The architect, hailing from the Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, is a master at harmonising with nature, infusing it into his work by reviving ancient mountain-building techniques.Using wood, stone, and mud, Bhushan creates ea...

India’s Hampi Art Labs is a piece of architecture at one with its content and context

When viewed from a distance, Hampi Art Labs could pass for a spectacular riverbank – if a riverbank did such a thing as levitate. Located in southern India near the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi, the structure is a sleight of hand by leading Indian architect Sameep Padora (behind numerous Indian houses, such as Lattice House, as well as Wallpaper* Design Awards Best Public Building 2021 Temple of Steps). Hampi Art Labs undulates with the landscape, echoing the nearby Tungabhadra River and

Museum of Art and Photography in Bangalore aims to democratise art and culture

The Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) wasn’t born as a museum – at least, not in the flesh. Conceived by philanthropist and collector Abhishek Poddar in 2020 as India's first online-only art and photography gallery, it effectively upended the typical ‘physical-first, digital-next’ museum rulebook by assuming a bricks-and-mortar avatar earlier this month, three years after its digital launch. Situated in the heart of Bangalore, at the crossroads of Vidhana Soudha (the state capitol), The High C

Vinu Daniel on the glory of garbage in architecture and Chuzhi House

Vinu Daniel never aspired to be an architect. Born in Dubai to parents of South Indian origin, he was always expected to pursue something mainstream, such as law or medicine or even chartered accountancy. ‘Certainly anything but Carnatic classical music,’ jests the founder of Wallmakers of his childhood proclivity for the arts. In a bid to reconcile his passions and his family’s hopes, Daniel moved to India for university, enrolling at the College of Engineering Trivandrum for a degree in archit

EARTH BUILDER: Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers

Born in Dubai to parents of South Indian
origin, Vinu Daniel was always expected
to pursue a career in something
mainstream, such as law or medicine. ‘Certainly
anything but Carnatic music,’ jests Daniel of his
childhood love for the arts and, in particular, the
form of South Indian classical music.