A “full throttle motorsport narrative” guided Vestian’s design of a German automotive giant’s new innovation hub in Bengaluru, India from the very beginning. Spanning five floors of a Brigade Tech Garden tower, the facility is outfitted with myriad custom touches that demonstrate functionality and aesthetic singularity. “The material palette for this Innovation Hub is chosen to reflect the automobile manufacturer’s rich brand identity,” says Vestian senior vice president of design services Meenakshi Sharma.
Vehicle ramps are integrated into the facade to accommodate an 18-car display and test bay on the first floor, which also houses labs, wellness rooms, and a 942-seat cafeteria easily converted into a forum thanks to lightweight furniture and retractable A/V technology. An eight-story atrium unifies the office, illuminated with custom, sinewy light fixtures crafted to complement the curvature of the central core. Three identical upper-level office floors comprise hundreds of flexible workstations configured within a short, equitable distance to designated areas for huddling and brainstorming, including phone booths, writable corridors, and amphitheaters. Sculpted gypsum forms in workspaces further perpetuate the curvaceous motif as well.
All finishes meet LEED Gold specifications, with water-based paints, low-VOC adhesives, and carpet tiles composed of recycled content. Each of the color-coded neighborhood cores are also punctuated with a unique acoustic upgrade applied to exposed ceilings. “Beyond strategic acoustic panelling and soft furnishings that bring comfort in high-traffic collaborative areas, one key innovation adopted in this design was the use of acoustic spray on the ceilings. This material choice helped achieve optimal noise dB levels, enhancing the acoustic comfort of the workspace,” Sharma adds. “Beyond its technical performance, the acoustic spray also contributed to the aesthetic by allowing for a clean, seamless ceiling finish.”
