The 36,000 sq ft reflecting pool and 10,000 sq ft ‘green wall’ that form the central square on-site, are The Oberoi Gurgaon’s tours de force.

1. Design at work
[ [
The vertical garden has lightweight
soil—soilrite—that retains moisture,
conserves water, and is three-fourth
times lighter than regular soil
green talk
T he oberoi gurgaon , seT across nine acres of landscaped gardens and sooThing reflecTion pools ,
offers a sensory experience to its visitors. With many ‘firsts’ to its credit, the hotel respects the
concepts of height, light and space in its design. Shiny Varghese pays a visit

2. d e s i g n at w o r k
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The ‘extra clear’ glass panels were
especially commissioned and
imported from Singapore. They
allow ample natural light to wash the
internal spaces

3. d e s i g n at w o r k
t
he 36,000 sq ft reflect-
ing pool and 10,000 sq
ft ‘green wall’ that form
the central square
on-site, are The Oberoi
Gurgaon’s tours de force. They
compel you to peel your eyes
away from the vertical shimmer
of the town’s skyline. But you
can’t predict this expanse as you
drive up the winding, elevated,
leafy driveway.
There is a rite of passage
that visitors follow from the
moment they arrive at the hotel.
Large fire torches guard the
stone-floored entrance leading to
an immaculate white Greek
Thassos marble lobby that’s on
the fifth floor. The imposing edi-
fice of glimmering stainless steel
and commanding glass is unmis-
takably The Oberoi’s way of say-
ing they have moved on from
arches and domes. If the aim is
to surprise and awe, they achieve
00 designtoDay
June 2011

4. d e s i g n at w o r k
The gold wall at the Piano Bar had 18-karat
gold leaves manually pasted and then
embedded using a thick foam cushion
it admirably, with a 21-ft high ceiling at the lobby. Panels of
mirrored steel both hide and reveal the blue expanse of the
waterbody and the green wall outside. There is a constant
dialogue between the water, the green strips, and the build-
ing that a visitor encounters at every point during his stay.
RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers in Singapore
along with the in-house design team at The Oberoi, partnered
with interior design firm Lim, Teo & Wilkes Design Works,
Malaysia on this project. The vertical garden was designed
by Bangkok-based Pui Landscape Associates.
With over 202 guest rooms and suites, The Oberoi
offers the largest accommodation in any city hotel around
the world. The base room within 620 sq ft has customised
side tables, with special attention to wardrobes and dressing
tables. Each room has picture postcard views of the gardens
and waterbodies. The Presidential Suite boasts of a 22m
cantilevered outdoor heated private pool while the two
Premier Suites feature 17m private pools with decks.
The central waterbody permits the design to be
inclusive with shiny stainless steel and glass pavilions facing

5. d e s i g n at w o r k
the residential block that will soon house the luxury retail The hotel indulges seafood aficionados with their While they could have been creative with the green design expresses a mode of arriving at a new context, a
arcades and the Nature Morte art gallery. Specially Indian seafood restaurant that serves the ‘catch of the day’, wall, going beyond just wedelias; The Oberoi Gurgaon’s language that is recognisable to a city dweller: of height,
commissioned work, done by young contemporary Indian flown in daily from the ports of India’s coasts. And if you’re light and space. The paucity of it makes him aspire to enter
artists find place on the hotel walls. The corridors are an dining alone, there are guppies at every table in mini fish Touches of craft are seen in the zardozi through these gates. And for that moment, he becomes part
evangelism of India’s cultural heritage with black and white bowls to keep you company. The Cigar Lounge, the country’s of that dream; where he can linger, sit on the warm deck and
photographs by Tarun Chopra that chronicle the history of first indoor lounge, offers a selection of the finest single
panels in the rooms and the bespoke watch the reflecting pool, ignore the hustle of the city and
India through its monuments. malts and a wide range of hand-rolled Cuban cigars. carpets in the corridors allow his parched urban soul to heal itself.
00 designtoDay
June 2011

6. d e s i g n at w o r k
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Besides an Olympic-size 55m
outdoor heated swimming pool, The
Oberoi Gurgaon also has a separate
pool for children
Photographs: BharaT aggarWal