AFW delivers India’s largest hotel complex in Bengaluru’s technology park

Bengaluru, India—Andy Fisher Workshop’s latest project in India is slated to be the country’s largest hotel complex in the burgeoning city of Bengaluru. Situated within the last remaining pocket of land in a prominent area of economic activity, the 700-key Hilton Hotel & Hilton Garden Inn and a multi-functional Convention Centre seamlessly blend opulence with functionality by providing exceptional amenities that turn the 2,000,000 SF development into a vibrant community hub catering to 100,000 people.

The two hotels and convention centre are part of Embassy NXT, a five-building scheme located in the Embassy Manyata Business Park area. AFW designed them as three distinct blocks linked to the neighbouring office buildings through a series of outdoor courts and an elevated podium. By introducing these seamless connections, the entire cluster of buildings and open spaces is delivered as a single, unified experience.

Building with the site

The hotel complex is the last fitting piece of the puzzle in the dense urban setting, leveraging the site's unique elevated characteristics and embodying a new standard of luxury hospitality in the region. Achieving a harmonious balance between the five building volumes are central courtyards that facilitate flexible interaction and uninterrupted visual links. The elevated podium ensures smooth transition for all visitors to enjoy the shared amenities offered by the hotels. Taking advantage of the 13 m setback mandated for developments of this scale, AFW additionally created a continuous public corridor following the site boundary to link all five buildings.

In the interstitial space between the two hotels and convention centre sits a free-standing, concrete curved wall that offers a rhythmic quality to the pedestrian journey, also softening the harsh linearity of the site and crafting a soft, fluid experience around the public plaza.
Crafting distinct volumes and facades
The Hilton Hotel is strategically oriented in between the other four buildings and takes on a floating cuboidal form, thereby enhancing the sense of arrival for guests. The hovering mass is wrapped around by a mirrored facade that reflects the urban surroundings and landscape beyond. Underneath lies a spacious communal area encircled by a serene water feature. This layout inspired the natural establishment of an all-day-dining space that extends into the courtyard, offering a peaceful escape from the commotion of the city.

By contrast, the Hilton Garden Inn takes on a striking, pixelated facade. Instead of full bricks conventional in India, AFW opted for brick slip tiles in ten shades interchanged with a pattern to achieve a visual texture and colourful outlook that lend a unique architectural identity to the building.

Atop the Convention Centre’s rooftop is a pool and event space that can accommodate up to 600 people. Protected by an ETFE canopy, this additional space has doubled the capacity of the banqueting facility within the building for round-the-year events.

Setting a high sustainability standard through materiality

By employing locally available materials and finishes that harmoniously integrate the entire development, AFW minimised both the embodied and operational carbon of the project. For example, the use of black-tinted glass and burnt oak cladding is repeated across all five buildings. The oak features in a wide array of public areas and guest room corridors in the hotels, therefore tying the experience together. The hexagonal tile cladding on the curved wall offers a colourful contrast to the glass facades of the other building blocks.

Project Facts

Project Name: Hilton Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, and Convention Centre at Embassy Manyata Business Park
Client: Embassy Group
Location: Bengaluru, India
Built Area: 2,000,000 SF
Status: Completed 2022
AFW Services: Architecture and Interior Design

About AFW

For the past 20 years, Andy Fisher Workshop (AFW) has crafted architectural landmarks in residential, commercial, hospitality, and education sectors across Asia and beyond. Based in Singapore, the multi-disciplinary practice enlists experience in 30 cities worldwide. At the core of the firm's ethos is the commitment to hands-on design and close collaboration with the client and other stakeholders, from concept through execution. The diverse team has cultivated knowledge and understanding of cultural nuances in different geographies, effectively applying this to fulfil the unique needs of each project. Mindful of ecological and social context, the firm consistently strives to enrich the sense of place and collective identity by integrating details that reflect its essence. Sustainability is a core principle for the practice, prioritising environmentally conscious designs that minimise the overall carbon footprint of the building.AFW’s projects include Embassy Boulevard, Embassy Lake Terraces, Hilton Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn at Embassy Manyata Business Park, Vensa One, and TARC Kailasa.

https://afw.sg/