Architecture is part of everyday life in Jaipur, from the carved facades of the old quarters to the rose-toned walls the city is known for. Against that backdrop, developers Akshat recently unveiled three show apartments at Sawai, their development at Statue Circle. Each starts from a different idea of what a home should feel like, and an evening called Gulab gave guests a reason to linger in all three.
Sharad and Sangeeta Maithel of M|A Architects reinterpret Jaipur's architectural heritage in their apartment. Megha Bhatnagar works in warmth and elegance. Mayank and Manan Gajjar choose contemporary minimalism. Walked through one after another, the apartments show how a single development can be lived in three ways, even though the basic finishes stay the same across all of them.
The setting holds that range easily. Sawai takes its name from Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur, and sets the city's heritage in a contemporary frame across five acres. Central Park is within walking distance and MI Road is three minutes away.
M|A Architects lead the design, while PLA Landscape Consultants shaped the grounds, where 73 per cent of the site stays open and more than an acre is given to gardens and urban forest. The homes follow a one-floor, one-flat plan. There are just 91 boutique residences, in four- and five-bedroom layouts, and each takes a full floor with private lift access, which gives an apartment the privacy and space of a bungalow. Five standalone six-bedroom bungalows complete the development.
Craft carries the look inside. Handcrafted jharokhas and Bijoliya stone facades sit alongside Banswara marble flooring, and more than 100 restored antique doors and windows from Jodhpur bring regional workmanship into a contemporary setting. The kitchen pairs PU-painted and veneer-finished cabinetry with a Sawai quartz breakfast table by Specta. The 32,000 sq ft clubhouse speaks the same language, with an indoor pool, spa, gym and a café that opens to the garden.
Gulab: An Evening of the Senses was built to be experienced as much as seen. Guests moved through the three apartments while fragrance, texture, the materials the rooms were made of and hospitality arranged with care shaped the evening. Poet Nayab Midha performed, bringing words and emotion into rooms already shaped by design.
Akshat's managing director, Sunil Jain, and CEO, Anushka Jain, put design with purpose at the centre of Sawai. The company began as a developer in Jaipur in 1995 and calls its philosophy A Way of Life, which gives equal weight to the character of a home and the quality of life it supports. On land that is part of the MEEL Group’s legacy, Sawai gives that philosophy an address in the city where the company began.