Clients: Amoda Spa-Bar and Calcutta Riverside
Location: Kolkata
Works: Interior and environmental designs
Co-project partners: The Busride, Mumbai and Hiland Group, Kolkata



Irresistibly ‘Amoda Spa-Bar’

Graphic Detail

Client summary: Amoda Spa-Bar, in Kolkata, is a spa by day and offering 30-minute reflexology sessions with full massage therapy options, it turns into a lounge bar at night with a full service bar and bar snacks.

Prime objective: Design concept of 100 Watts Design Studio aimed to create a language, which uses natural elements and materials, but in a dark, clubbish and contemporary way, with heavily treated textured surfaces like potpourri walls, to achieve a balanced design direction, which would work in both seemingly opposing contexts. 100 Watts Design Studio works in partnership with The Busride, Mumbai to develop the interiors.

Environmental Graphics: Large backlit graphics have been designed for this ‘hybrid’ space by 100 Watts Design Studio. The edgy, abstract graphics enable the smooth transition of this spa-with-a-difference into a hip bar at night. The therapy rooms also have their own touch of ethereal imagery with surface graphics on the shower cubicles that light up when in use. At night, these graphics camouflage the shower cubicles and allow the therapy rooms to be converted into semi-private lounge spaces.

The basic brief that 100 Watts Design Studio created for this space was a juxtaposition of the calm, natural, spa-like atmosphere with an edgy, hip, lounge feel. This was carried through in all designed elements—from the interiors to the spatial graphics to all communication collaterals right down to the menus and handouts—in order to create a consistent and holistic experience.

A clubbish ambience

Masterpiece ‘Calcutta Riverside’



Client summary: Calcutta Riverside is one of the largest township projects coming up in Kolkata, sprawling across 292 acres with an executive golf course, mall, school, hospital, IT SEZ and residential options from golf villas to river facing apartments. The project is a joint venture between Hiland Group, one of the top real estate developers of Kolkata, and Bata.

Basic strategy: 100 Watts Design Studio designed the marketing and communication strategy for this landmark project including all branding deliverables such as the logo, brochures, flash presentation, film, launch exhibitions, initial website, etc.

Amongst the deliverables was also the design of environmental graphics for their sample housing. The graphics take off from the overall brand identity designed for all their communication, using large quotations by the architects on their vision for the project juxtaposed with hand-drawn sketches of the property.

Architectural excellence: As the country’s six best architects were commissioned to work on this masterpiece, the communication strategy for the project was devised to take a slightly academic standpoint and leverage the architectural agenda. The idea was to stress on the importance being given to architectural excellence and detailing. And what better way to do that but in the words of the architects themselves…as they say from the horse’s mouth!

Design treatments: Instead of using conventional architectural elevations and perspectives, customised black & white sketches were created to conjure the ‘feeling’ of being in the spaces rather than just showcasing what the buildings would look like. These, along with selected abstract coloured images, were intended to portray the old world charm of Kolkata’s spacious baaris of the bygone era.

Ultimate accolades: This project won the Gold Trophy in ‘Best Real Estate Advertising’ by the Advertising Club, Kolkata and a nomination in the Kyoorius Exchange Design Awards.

About 100 Watts Design Studio A specialist graphic design studio based in Kolkata since 2003, 100 Watts Design Studio offers solutions across the realm of communication designs including branding, print, environmental graphics and network with designers from around the country for multi-disciplinary projects, from themed environments to films. This design studio is run by Kritika Malhotra, a graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Its expertise is an outcome of professional training and work experience. Quality is the company’s mainstay and a boutique set-up enables them to give every project—taken into the 100 Watts workshop—the prominence it deserves. 100 Watts Design Studio works with organisations of every kind and functions like a workshop—projects are opened up, examined, problems identified, serviced, modelled and then presented in a compelling manner. For more interesting information, visit: www.100wattsdesign.com