lotus praxis initiative designs raas jodhpur boutique hotel in new delhi, india‘raas jodhpur’ by lotus praxis initiative, new delhi, india – overview of restored site and new hotel block image © rajen nandwana all images courtesy of lotus praxis initiative
in the heart of the walled city of jodhpur, rajasthan, the new delhi-based multidisciplinary firm lotus has collaborated with bangalore-based firm praxis inc. to complete ‘raas jodhpur’ a 39 room boutique hotel. set at the base of mehragnarh fort this structure is the 2011 world architecture festival‘s ‘holiday building of the year’ winner. the 1.5-acre property consists of three 18th century structures located around a central courtyard. the buildings have been restored using original lime mortar and jodhpur sandstone along with the workmanship of 100 artisans to create a tactile experience within the context of the historical city.
the central courtyard shows the relationship of old and new buildings within the surrounding neighbourhood image © andre j. fanthome
the footprint of each building is small allowing for areas such as the pool, dining area, spa and open lounge to be shared by all. using the traditional age-old double skinned structures of the region, the stone lattice performs passive cooling and privacy. the façade panels can be folded away by each guest to reveal uninterrupted views of the fort. the darikjana restaurant is created on the terrace of one of the restored buildings. designed as part tented structure with an extended veranda, the hand-made floors are cast into terrazzo tiles while the folded wall is made of traditional lime plaster and bronze mirror.
the primary building becomes a second gate that reveals itself to the courtyard and the view of the fort image © rajen nandwana
the guest rooms are laid out in a linear fashion to maximize the number of rooms and bathrooms that have a panoramic view. exploring the meaning of luxury through the authenticity and simplicity of material creates graphic motifs throughout the space. the floors, bed and seating are cast in hand polished terrazzo. the wall separating the room from the ensuite is made of hand dressed 11′ high slabs of 50mm thick local sandstone, which has had cut diffusers for air-conditioning. the bathrooms are finished in white pebble surface. all furniture and lamps were custom designed and manufactured in the city using sheesham hardwood.
baradari overlooking the pool image © andre j. fanthome
using sustainable practices, as their method of construction all the rainwater runoff from the building is harvested through pits which are integrated into the landscape. 100% of the wastewater is generated and reused on-site using a sewage treatment plant. taking advantage of the sunlight, solar power is harnessed to provide hot water to the guests. the air-conditioning system is variable refrigerant volume based, which is amongst the greenest technologies available with a platinum LEED rating. over 70% of the materials and workers were locally sourced within a 30km radius area.
small details such as an embedded mirror capture and deconstruct views of the fort and the old city image © andre j. fanthome
lattice wall image © andre j. fanthome
new block of rooms with sandstone shutters image © andre j. fanthome
detail of lattice wall image © andre j. fanthome
detail of alfresco restaurant in lime plaster and bronze mirror image © andre j. fanthome
the alfresco section captures the site’s old and new spirit through a simple palette of lime plaster, stone and timber image © andre j. fanthome
view of the fort from a rooftop blue suite image © andre j. fanthome
handcut stone screens render the corridors with light image © andre j. fanthome
hand dressing in patterns by local stone craftsmen image © andre j. fanthome
multiplicity of textures through the day image © kaushal parikh
folding handcut stone shutters line room balconies image © andre j. fanthome
the room serves as a gallery looking out onto the property and the fort image © andre j. fanthome
seating area image © andre j. fanthome
heritage suites are rendered in a palette of lime plaster, stone, handmade terrazzo tiles, and bespoke furniture image © andre j. fanthome
washrooms are cast in hand poured white terrazzo image © kaushal parikh
hand dressed stone slabs divide room from washroom image © kaushal parikh
entrance to heritage suites image © raas jodhpur
courtyard of heritage suites image © raas jodhpur
heritage suites image © raas jodhpur
restored 17th century haveli converted into spa image © andre j. fanthome
17th century pavilion in restored in lime plaster image © andre j. fanthome
the terrace restaurant is a contemporary graphic rendition of traditional rajasthani motifs taken from local textiles image © andre j. fanthome
restored and relocated pavilion against new wing image © andre j. fanthome
al fresco restaurant with furniture in local wood image © andre j. fanthome
the integration of the hotel into the fabric of the old city image © andre j. fanthome
at dusk the stone screen acquires a lace-like quality image © andre j. fanthome
the local jodhpur blue frames a new staircase image © andre j. fanthome
sectional study of site with respect to fort image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services)
existing site image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services)
site plan image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services) 
3d model of hotel building image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services)
schematic section of one of the new hotel wings image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services)
room floor plan image © rajiv majumdar (praxis inc.) ambrish arora (lotus design services)
project info:
client: nikhilendra singh, walled city hotels pvt. ltd. year: 2011 area: 60,000 location: jodhpur, rajasthan, india collaborators: praxis inc. bangalore project leaders: ambrish arora & rajiv majumdar design team: arun kullu, radha muralidhara, anuja gupta, ruchi mehta photographers: andre j. fanthome, rajen nandwanalace
