When most people encounter the style of ‘Brutalism’, they think of béton brut, raw expression and unapologetically hulking volumes. But there’s a more inviting, far warmer rendition of this architectural movement that has been steadily gaining momentum. Retaining its skeletal geometry, rugged groundedness and light-filled pockets, the House of the Hanging Gardens in Indira Nagar, Bengaluru, reaches a crescendo in an undeniably chic iteration known as ‘Soft Brutalism’.

Envisaged by Shreyas Patil Architects, this 7,000 sq. ft. home scores a postmodernist bargain, where sculptural skylights, cosy fabrics and curved furniture deliver a human, tactile payoff.

"An assembly of cubes, organised cantilevers and recesses makes up the elevation of the residence. This give and take of exposed concrete, warm teak accents, and lush foliage on the façade creates a captivating dialogue between nature and the built environment," explains Ar. Shreyas Patil, the Principal at the eponymous Shreyas Patil Architects.

A Game Of Architectural Jenga

The massing of the House of the Hanging Gardens is a deftly hewn assemblage of hovering volumes and projecting balconies that not only parley with the surrounding urban context but also conjure up visual drama. Floating decks and patios branch into verdant gardens, offering moments of surprise and serenity in equal measure. For a car enthusiast with a rotating fleet, the ground level hosts a secure, rodent-proof garage featuring sliding doors that serve as sacrosanct enclosures while subtly showcasing the prized automobiles within. Inside, the language of layering carries on uninhibitedly.

The central stairwell acts as a backbone for the home, weaving together communal spaces and private retreats across three levels above the stilt parking and ground floor. “It is a dog-legged arrangement finished in micro-topped concrete,” Shreyas elaborates, “with teak treads and a delicate glass handrail.”

The staircase also behaves like a threshold, segregating public and private zones across all floors. Climbing up feels like rising through a classical symphony, one that catapults you towards the feature skylight.

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Vaastu, Volumes and Verticality

The eastern side is the home’s primary source of natural light, while the other three sides remain relatively closed, with recessed volumes and extended overhangs filtering out the harsh glare and gatekeeping privacy throughout the day. Windows are set deep within thick walls, allowing sunbeams to gently skim surfaces, orchestrating mild tonal variations across the interiors.

At each level, planter boxes and pergolas disrupt the sun’s trajectory, casting mottled shadows on the floors and walls.

The formal living room unfurls laterally into a garden and vertically into a triple-height court, overlooked by upper-floor bedrooms. A dedicated pooja room in the northeast, twin kitchens, and tailored bedrooms reflect the meaningfully compartmentalised floor plan. Across each level, planter boxes, stacked volumes and framed vantage points reinforce the biophilic narrative, while aligning with passive design principles. “In their previous residence, what the clients missed out on was that it wasn’t naturally lit or ventilated throughout the day,” Shreyas clues us in. “They really wanted a house that was Vastu-compliant and also had access to a garden space.”

Open and seamlessly connected, the kitchen and dining spaces are designed to encapsulate both everyday functionality and uninterrupted social interaction. Nestled in the northwest quadrant, the kitchen is niftily divided into a back-end utility zone and a primary kitchen, delineating an optimal workflow. Adjacent to it, the dining area encourages easy conversations, asserting a sense of conviviality among the family members and guests. A pared-down material and colour palette keeps the space calm, clutter-free and beautifully resonant with diurnal rhythms.

An Unvarnished Honesty Of Materials

With unwavering fidelity to the ethos of soft brutalism, House of the Hanging Gardens embraces materials in their unblemished form, softened by textiles and cultural familiarity. Located on the eastern side of the first floor, the family room is anchored by a richly hued teak flooring, while the mid-century modern furnishings add a touch of comfort and cohesiveness.

Triple wooden awning windows, incorporated with panelled teak and slanted at an angle, draw sunlight unobtrusively into the room. They also peer out at an old growth Indian coral tree, securing a synergy with the landscape.

Upstairs, the bedrooms continue to articulate this poetic refrain of softness within structure. The older daughter’s room is embedded in a mature palette of subdued greys and copper accents, where an Alcantara-lined headboard and suede carpeting introduce textural warmth and a Scandinavian quality of hygge. The result is a mood board of Zen modernism, while an aged patina to the surfaces lends understated authenticity. The master bedroom, by contrast, emerges as an oasis of tropical bohemianism. Complemented by teak wood, tan leather and soft neutrals, the room exudes a barmy opulence without excess. Supple brown tones preside over the cabinetry and custom furniture.

Together, these private suites contrive at a tranquil counterpoint to the younger daughter’s more exuberant aesthetic vocabulary.

The younger daughter’s room veers into a lighter, less utilitarian territory. Predominantly white with genteel inflections of blush pink, plum and brushed gold, the space is elevated by a diaphanous onyx backdrop in the headboard and hedonistic details throughout. An amalgamation of wood, leather and metal lends a refined tactility to the interiors. While youthful in character, the room ties in with the home’s broader sensibilities, with its focus on spatial comfort, natural light and material warmth.

A Repartee Between Stillness And Solidity

"In a fast-paced city like Bengaluru," Shreyas emphasizes, "House of the Hanging Gardens offers a quiet retreat, fading away the noise within its walls and gardens." Layered across stacked volumes and shifting planes, the home engages in a repartee between stillness and solidity. Planters integrated at every level soften the weight of concrete, while skylights, courtyards and carved apertures sculpt light into a sentient creature. Here, sustainability is not an afterthought but a foundational engine that drives the architecture from within.

In balancing function with feeling, calm with spatial complexity, the House of the Hanging Gardens reinterprets modern Indian living as something rooted, instinctive and presciently responsive to its context.