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The late Indian
poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore once remarked, "Pain is the
hand of nature, sculpting man to greatness.' In the contextual
journey towards 360 Leti, the relevance of this statement bears
little perceivable meaning. Not during the obligatory 9-hour train
ride from Delhi to Kathgodam Station. And again, not during the
8-hour car trek on the ascendancy of Uttaranchal's mountains.
Resolves are tested
when roads dwindle and the only way forward is a nine-kilometer trek
along a narrow trail carved into the steep mountain face, Passing
through waterfalls, rambling brooks, rhododendron trees, and distant
stepped terraces of rice paddies and wheat, the 9000 ft high plateau
is reached nearly two hours later. Greeting visitors are the
purpose-built structures of 360 Leti.
Invigorated by the site's truly remote nature, along with
magnificent mountain vistas and the Ramganga river valley, an
appreciation of 360 Leti's greatness is allowed to take hold.
Profound respect is commanded as one realises that every piece of
material used was hand delivered, hand cut and hand assembled to
establish the resort at it stands.
360 Leti comprises
a main central cabin surrounded by four smaller guest cabins. The
architecture is a combination of diverse construction methodologies
based on locally practised customs, as well as modern techniques.
The central or main cabin acts communally to gather guests together
to sit, relax and dine. A prominent feature of the design is the
consistent use of 'dry stacked granite" walls, a characteristic that
mirrors the homes in the region. Manually cut stones are stacked one
atop the other to form walls, which are erected without cement,
plaster or other binders. Each cabin is enveloped on the three
remaining sides by glass panels and teak wood. The wood functions to
frame the glass and provide unhindered views of snow capped
mountains and expansive blue skies - Leti's main enticement
and prize.
Intriguingly, the space outside is presented in such a way that
psychological barriers are removed - guests genuinely feel a sense
of belonging to the land. To this point, the experience supplements
this emphatically through a disconnect of modern luxuries such as
television, computers, telephones, and the convenience of
electricity.
Essentially, the design maintains great reciprocity between nature
and home, modernity and tradition, indoors and out - resourcefully
blurring the lines without disrupting the purity of living in the
Himalayas. Unlike most resorts, there is no convenience of hopping
into a car and driving to watch television or answer emails. This,
in a sense, forces guests to accept the nature of staying at Leti,
and effectively enables the locale to expound its true greatness as
an uncompromising natural haven for retreat. |
Shakti Tours &
Travel's Perspective
Our office understands this project to be one of humility and
delicate execution. The architecture itself is understated, almost
receding into the landscape so as to not detract from its truly
stunning location. It emphasises material and craft, employing hand
- cut stonework to frame picturesque mountain views. 360 Leti is a
retreat in the truest sense of the word.
About Shakti Tours & Travel
Shakti Tours & Travel seeks to provide the highest standard in
luxury travel to India's more remote locations. Shakti is quickly
becoming a benchmark for luxury resorts worldwide, combining the
finest service, exquisite food and five star accommodations. In
addition to outstanding service and comfort, Shakti Tours & Travel
sets itself apart by offering personalised itineraries to
breathtaking and culturally rich destinations.
About Studio Mumbai Architects
Studio Mumbai Architects was founded in 2005 as a collaborative
studio intent on engaging multiple disciplines of design while
bridging a wide range of cultures and technologies pertaining to
making. The studio is primarily a design/build studio. Studio
Mumbai's work ranges from custom furniture to private residences to
commercial projects. Process, craft, site and landscape are
essential considerations in all of its work.
About Bijoy Jain
Bijoy Jain graduated with a Masters in Architecture from
Washington University, St. Louis, USA with an adjunct degree from
SCIARC (Southern California Institute of Architecture). Jain has
been practising for 13 years and has designed numerous projects -
several of which have received awards in the field of architecture
and design.
About Roy Katz
Roy Katz received his Bachelors of Architecture from the
Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles in 2006.
Katz has worked in Boulder, Colorado; Helsinki, Finland; and Los
Angeles, California. He join\ed Studio Mumbai Architects in 2006.
His work with the studio has been featured in Japan Architects' A+U
magazine.
About Geoffery Johnson
Geoffery Johnston received his Bachelors of Architecture from
the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles in
2006. Johnson has worked in Copenhagen, Denmark; Los Angeles,
California, and Portland, Maine. He joined Studio Mumbai Architects
in 2006. His first project with the studio was 360 Leti, for which
he spent six months in the Indian Himalaya overseeing construction. |
