yoga studio
yoga studio 2010
The ownersʼ experience of spiritual and physical practice in many environments around the world led the team to distill several principles that have been incorporated into the design, including the notion of making references to India as the traditional birthplace of Yoga without using clichéd signifiers and creating a space that helps to bring oneʼs attention to the present moment while reflecting the materiality of timeʼs passage. The design team endeavored to create a calm space within the chaos of the urban environment, and with influence from the rhythms of India bringing elements of an ancient tradition to a modern environment.
A decorative wood screen hand-carved in India is positioned inside the entrance, shielding the inner space from the activity of entry and providing a veiled view of the sky-lit inner space beyond as both an enticement and delineation. Natural light has been introduced into the common areas and practice studios by means of large skylights in order to enhance the feeling of openness and to maintain a connection with the natural rhythms of daylight and weather. The hand-carved decorative practice studio doors call attention to their surface, engendering qualities of importance to the space beyond. Each of the windows in the practice studios are fitted with hand-carved wood screens for the purposes of veiling the outside view, both from without and within, to allow for some amount of natural light to filter through but as well to reflect the practitionersʼ attentions back in on themselves and in the present moment.