Nestled in Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Justa Nuo by Architecture Discipline are a 27-key urban hospitality project and the first in a series of small metropolitan hotels by jüSTa Hotels & Resorts that fulfil the specific needs of young, peripatetic professionals in the post-Covid world. The architecture of this avant-garde hotel is characterised by its rhythmic glazed openings and balconies that are jutting out of its street-facing facade in angular forms. Wrapped in a muted palette, the project underscores a green spiral staircase that acts as a beacon, inviting visitors to take notice. Take a virtual tour of the hotel through the details shared by the firm with SURFACES REPORTER (SR):
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Today, post-pandemic travel demands reliable, sanitised, efficient and comfortable hotels that provide a safe retreat away from home. Justa Nuo offers just that. Unlike other urban hospitality projects that are most often housed in superficially adapted existing buildings in the city centre, Nuo is conceived, designed and built from scratch, accommodating the specific requirements of an urban hotel in the most efficient way possible.
Design Details
The design treats the hotel not as an isolated building but as a comprehensive urban intervention. The boundary wall is eliminated, opening the facility to the streetscape with a large open-to-sky entrance court.
A glazed facade forms an unhindered transition between the outside and the inside while the neon staircase catches the fancy of the guests.
These elements draw passersby letting them engage visually with the activities within.
The entry court directs guests to an external staircase on the southern edge of the site that leads to the ground floor. Guests move through a reception lounge and a café from where they either enter a large atrium that forms the circulation core of the building or are taken down to the public sphere via the neon green spiral staircase.
The large 15-metre-high, the skylit atrium is punctuated by a sinuous black staircase in steel that takes guests to the first, second and third floors, which house individual rooms, and further to the terrace level that accommodates a gym and an open deck.
While the upper levels house the private sphere of the hotel, the neon green staircase leads guests down from the entry level to the lower ground and basement level, forming the thriving public sphere.
The lower ground floor houses an art gallery, and the basement accommodates a co-working space equipped with amenities, including conference rooms and a pantry.
Muted shades of black and grey in interiors
The interiors of the shared spaces create a universal appeal with neutral tones of black and grey, giving rise to a progressive aesthetic. Floor finishes in high-performance, locally-sourced floor tech carpets imbibe this theme with a black base and grey linear patterns.
Distinctive, serpentine LED strips run along the ceilings of the corridors and down the stairwell, injecting these spaces with a sense of dynamism.
This design sets a recognisable identity that can be easily replicated in upcoming urban hotels by jüSTa Hotels & Resorts at different urban centres.
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Warm wooden tones combine with neutral shades in rooms
The monochromatic aesthetic is carried through to the individual rooms but is paired with warm tones of wood introduced in the floorboards and furniture.
The rooms strike the right balance between comfort and efficiency, featuring custom-designed furniture with integrated luggage storage and work desks that respond to the needs of the travelling professional. Locally sourced wood fibre boards, which can be recycled, are extensively used to attenuate the excessive noise of the bustling city outside.
The Bay window allows maximum daylighting
A projecting bay window forms a distinctive feature in every room, optimising limited views, bringing in daylight, and acting as a lively burst of space.
The rooms are well-serviced, drawing on the idea that real luxury is all about the quality of air and light.
The private rooms open out onto the large, naturally-lit volume of the atrium creating a dramatic shift in scale. Air conditioning systems maintain air quality and temperature while an integrated heat retrieval unit minimises energy consumption (heat from air extracted is reused to treat conditioned air being supplied). Ample daylighting uplifts the interior spaces and also results in a reduced load on artificial lighting during the day.
Facade lowers heat ingression
The facades of the building are developed in response to the sun's path, minimising heat ingress from the south and the west and using glazed projecting bays to capitalise on the light from the northeast.
The bays and balconies form striking, rhythmic elements that bring relief to the cuboidal mass of the building, showcasing a play of light, shadow and form and setting it apart from its context. The street-facing façade presents an interactive interface between the hotel and the city.
LED strips on the floor slabs
The lines of the floor slabs are highlighted with strips of coloured LED lights that are coded and operated digitally to communicate indices such as occupancy to onlookers.
This forms a striking and playful element on the streetscape at night, drawing people into the public sphere of the hotel that remains active at all times.
The design of Justa Nuo represents a seamless urban connection, carrying the vibrance of city life into its interior spaces.
Project Details
Location: Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi, India
Team: Akshat Bhatt, Chandni Saxena, Deeksha Gulati
Area: 10,000 sq.ft.
Completion: January 2022
Location: Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi, India
Name of Client: jüSTa Hotels & Resorts
Principal Architect: Akshat Bhatt
Design Team: Akshat Bhatt, Chandni Saxena, Deeksha Gulati
Site Area: 4360 sq.ft
Built-Up Area: 10,000 sq.ft
Completion Date: Jan 2022
Photographer: Jeetin Sharma
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