Indian craft: a Frankfurt exhibition explores the work of Studio Mumbai

A new exhibition at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt explores the extraordinary, handcrafted work of architecture and design practice Studio Mumbai. The India-based firm was set up in 2005 by Bijoy Jain and has since captured the hearts and minds of many with their tactile, immaculately executed works.
Beginning life as a cooperative Studio Mumbai is no ordinary architecture practice. It is not set in a shiny modern building and is not staffed by just architects, designers or engineers. Made up by a mix of architects, artisans and craftspeople, the office is situated in the still-partly-rural area of Alibag, south west of the Indian metropolis, instead of, perhaps more conventionally, setting up shop in the mega-city's heart.
Mumbai-born Jain went to study in the United States at the Washington University in St Louis. He consequently went on to work for Richard Meier in Los Angeles and London, before returning to his native India in 1995 to set up his own office.
His vision involved architects and craftspeople, working together in a shared space – and that is exactly what he achieved. The Studio Mumbai complex focuses around a large shaded courtyard, where design and craft come together from the very conception of each project, to its execution and the finest detail.
With Jain at the helm of the practice, the concept development team consists of American architect Samuel Barclay, carpenter Jivaram Sutar, stonemason Pandurang Malekar and stonemason and carpenter Bhaskar Raut. Together, they create unique, one-off pieces of architecture that combine modern design, with natural, quality materials and India's traditional artisanship, feeling at one with their surroundings.
Studio Mumbai’s Cooper House II in Chondi, Maharashtra, built in 2011.
The firm’s new Studio Saath Rasta in Mumbai, India.
INFORMATION
’Between the sun and the moon - Studio Mumbai - The rediscovery of Indian handcraft’ will be on show at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum until 21 August . For more information visit the Studio Mumbai website
ADDRESS
Deutsches Architekturmuseum
Schaumainkai 43
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Goldwin 0’s first-ever performance wear is body-mapped to keep you cool
The ‘Performance Capsule’ from Goldwin 0 – an experimental offshoot of Japanese technical wear label Goldwin – draws inspiration from trail running for its meticulously tested sportswear, which uses experimental ventilation techniques to help you work out in the heat
-
Shop the gloriously mad inner workings of Gary Card’s brain in London’s Soho
Set designer and artist Gary Card has taken over London's Plaster Store – expect chaos and some really good accessories
-
Venerable British car-maker AC goes OTT with the high-output, low-slung AC GT SuperSport
Pitched at all-American fans of the original AC Cobra, the GT SuperSport is a fearsome two-seat roadster with more muscle than ever before
-
Behind a carefully composed geometric brick façade, a New Delhi residence rises high
AKDA’s design for this New Delhi residence explores new geometries and high densities
-
This Hyderabad live/work space is rooted in its leafy context, centred around an old neem tree
In Hyderabad, India, Soil & Soul Studio by Iki Builds is a blueprint for a conscious way of building, working and living
-
A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secret
Pierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
-
This Ahmedabad house is enclosed within a curved concrete shell
This Ahmedabad house by Achyutam Designs is a homage to concrete and a celebration of the curve, a family house designed to flow into its surroundings
-
In New Delhi, a home designed to embrace light and landscape
A New Delhi house, Architecture Discipline’s Lighthouse, arranges a generous family residence and pool house around an expansive garden
-
Shalini Misra’s Delhi home is a seasonal sanctuary ‘made in India’
Interior designer Shalini Misra’s retreat in the Indian capital champions modernist influences, Islamic ancestry and local craftsmanship
-
A triplex Mumbai penthouse contains sculptural staircases and expansive terraces
Enso House is a multigenerational Mumbai penthouse by S+PS Architects that combines a reorganised interior programme with bespoke finishes and crafts
-
This ‘architourism’ trip explores India’s architectural history, from Mughal to modernism
Architourian is offering travellers a seven-night exploration of northern India’s architectural marvels, including Chandigarh, the city designed by Le Corbusier