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Crafting Spaces for Connection and Well-being with Malik Architecture People
Malik Architecture is a Mumbai-based studio that stands at the intersection of architectural brilliance and natural inspiration. The firm was founded by Kamal Malik and portrays the relationship and deep connection to the pristine landscapes of Shimla, his hometown. Throughout the four decades of practice, Malik Architecture has been pioneering award-winning structures and consistently pushing design boundaries with innovative materials and techniques.
The winners of Hansgrohe presents The D/List 2023 Second Edition
As we revel in the celebration of transcendent design excellence at Estella, Mumbai, we proudly announce the hansgrohe presents The D/List 2023 - Second Edition. The night unfolds with a palpable sense of anticipation as we prepare to unveil this year’s distinguished winners. Congratulations to all The D Listers, and here's to a future filled with more groundbreaking designs and innovations that will continue to shape our world.
Mumbai Architecture City Guide: 20 Projects in One of India's Most Populous Cities
Walking through the streets of Mumbai, India, is an experience unmatched anywhere else. The energy of India’s largest and most populous city is palpable through the people, their activities, and most importantly, the built environment. The city’s dynamic culture is evidently expressed through the structures that dot its landscape.
"IF.BE" in Mumbai Shortlisted for Cultural category
Malik Architecture has reimagined a historic site in Mumbai's Ballard Estate as IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate). Formerly the Ambico Ice Factory, the 140-year-old structures have been restored around a large Banyan tree growing in the courtyard. The aged buildings, not to mention the Banyan roots growing within them, demanded that the restoration take a meticulous, hands-on approach.
Malik Architecture transforms ice factory into gallery and events space
Indian studio Malik Architecture has turned a 144-year-old ice factory in Ballard Estate, Mumbai, into the IF.BE contemporary gallery. The renovation, led and funded by Malik Architecture, aimed to preserve the ex-industrial space, which is in an area where the majority of un-listed buildings are demolished, and create an arts development that could serve as "a reference for the past and future".
Last Chance to See These Structures Before They’re Gone: Wageshwar Temple
Each summer, when the water levels recede, the archaic Shiva temple emerges from the depths of Pawna lake for three months. Estimated to be at least a thousand years old by the ninth-generation priest there, it draws a large number of pilgrims and devotees during Maha Shivratri. From the evidence suggested on site, steps and mooring arrangements for boats indicate the presence of an ancient river.
Breathing New Life into Heritage:IF.BE's Material Marvels
The Ambico Ice Factory, a historic 140-year-old structure in Mumbai’s Ballard Estate, has been reimagined as IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate), a vibrant amalgamation of art, events, gatherings, and design, centered around an ancient Banyan tree.
#StateOfTheArt: Kamal Malik talks about IF.BE and how it’s intended to be a multidisciplinary space for architecture, design and all forms of art
The art world is often perceived as a mysterious place, or a distant universe. It has also been considered by many to be exclusive and elitist. While museums serve as a place of interactivity, discovery and discourse, the primary purpose of an art gallery is to nurture visual artists, promote their work, and expose them to the public and cultural stakeholders.
IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate), reimagining space rescuing an old Banyan tree
Next to the string of old yet thriving docks of Mumbai sits Ballard Estate - a heritage district with a dual characteristic of stately colonial architecture and decaying industrial spaces. Malik Architecture has been situated here for over 25 years, observing the systematic erosion of the public domain due to rapid, unplanned developments. Founder Kamal Malik, chanced upon the functioning Ambico Ice Factory and was deeply moved by the old Banyan tree that was being asphyxiated.
IF.BE Ice Factory Ballard Estate | Malik Architecture
The 140-year-old Ambico Ice Factory is located in Ballard estate, the heart of Mumbai’s heritage precinct. We have reimagined the space as IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate), is an organism that merges art, exhibition, events, performances, gatherings, food, and design. Essentially it is a space for encounter, organized within beautiful but aging structures surrounding a large Banyan tree.
IF.BE Ice Factory Ballard Estate / Malik Architecture
The 140-year-old Ambico Ice Factory is located in Ballard estate, the heart of Mumbai's heritage precinct. We have reimagined the space as IF.BE (Ice Factory Ballard Estate), is an organism that merges art, exhibition, events, performances, gatherings, food, and design. Essentially it is a space for encounter, organized within beautiful but aging structures surrounding a large Banyan tree.
Lateral Verandah House by Malik Architecture
The Lateral Verandah House is, in many ways, a natural extension of the House of Three Streams. They are located on the same site and were designed concurrently but built in separate phases. This home is located further down the slope of this densely forested and steep land. The ravines intersected and informed the house.
Lateral Verandah House by Malik Architecture
‘The Lateral Verandah House’ is, in many ways, a natural extension of the House of Three Streams. They are located on the same site and were designed ‘concurrently’ but built in separate phases. This home is located further down the slope of this densely forested and steep land.
Angular metal canopies shelter Indian house by Malik Architecture
A jagged metal roofscape shelters large open terraces at the Lateral Verandah House, a dwelling near Pune, India, designed by local studio Malik Architecture. The home sits on a steep, densely forested site with dramatic views of the Tung Fort ruins to the east, close to another residential project by the studio.
A network of labyrinthine voids: House of Voids
Delhi’s existing neighborhoods have traditionally been defined by two story houses set back from tree-lined roads, buffered by a front garden. This relationship has been altered by new planning regulations that permit taller structures over greater areas and with reduced setbacks. The resulting urban condition creates the sensation of buildings imposing themselves on the street, and within the homes, the absence of green cover, courtyards and light is palpable. The ground plane, formerly garden and patio living spaces, has been given over to parking, eliminating any meaningful connection to the street.
AD100 2023: Malik Architecture
Project in Focus: An extension of the House of Three Streams in the Western Ghats that was designed as a weekend home for a family of five (pictured). Set in the same location, the house blends with its topography. The pitched roof mimics the contours of the hill, while the use of local stone is a nod to the historic Tung Fort and nearby village homes.
Mumbai’s latest restaurant is housed inside a 144-year-old ice factory
When architect Kamal Malik of Malik Architecture discovered what was then a crumbling 144-year-old ice factory sandwiched between Cochin and Calicut street in Mumbai’s Ballard Pier, he saw perhaps what nobody else could: potential. He, along with his son Arjun Malik and business partners Abhijit Mehta and Amardeep Tony Singh, embarked on a two and half year long preservation and restoration process.
The Stone House in Jaipur reclaims sandstone as a favourable building material
A building made entirely in stone architecture is not an entirely unique concept. In the modern world, however, it is a rare concept. In traditional Rajasthani architecture, stone has been a primary building material, with palaces made entirely of stone. The dawn of postmodern architecture slowly reduced the regal material to a cladding medium and has since been traded out for either the more convenient ‘tiles’ or the seemingly more luxurious marble.
Mumbai: Old villas, ice factory make space for Art, Architecture & Community
The third such spot is a 10,000 sq ft space in the dockyards of Ballard Estate, which is Mumbai's oldest ice factory, before it fell into disrepair.
Here's how an old Ice Factory in Mumbai was transformed into a cultural hub
By Avantika Shankar “IF.BE” stands for Ice Factory Ballard Estate. “The dot—that gap between “if” and “be” symbolises time,” explains Malik. “If and be—the possibilities.” test
"House of Voids" in Delhi Shortlisted for Urban House category
This project appears to be a hovering monolith differentiated by its mediation with internal and urban space but is realised ultimately as a series of internal spatial shifts that bind the house with nature and light.
Why India is a dream destination for architects?
This private residence nestled amidst an enchanting monsoon forest in a mountainous region is close enough to the urban expanse of Mumbai to make it a welcome retreat; a carefree haven immersed in nature away from the incessant throng of one of India’s largest cities.
IIA E-Journal - August Issue Dialogue with Ar Kamal Malik
Ar. Brijesh Saijal talks to Ar Kamal Malik about, the influence of nature in his designs, his famous design houses of three streams, the evolution of his career, the use of exposed natural materials, his message to young Architects etc
House of Voids, Almost invisible between the leaves, qualifies as a Finalist under The Plan Award 2022
Delhi’s existing neighbourhoods have traditionally been defined by 2 storey houses set back from the tree-lined road and buffered from it by a front garden. This relationship has been altered by the new planning regulations that permit taller structures, consuming greater area and with reduced setbacks.
A Balanced Merger of the Old and New, IFBE
The essence of this merger lies within the balance between the old and new, the honesty of the suturing, and the fragile, almost tenuous relationship between the “found” and the “made”. There is no need to search for a new language, the triggers lie within the existing architecture.
Stone House in Jaipur, Rediscovering Sandstone as a Building Material, becomes finalist for The Plan Award 2021
Rajasthan is synonymous with sandstone as a building material but sadly, over the last few decades, this material has been reduced to a 'cladding 'medium and its potential as a robust and sustainable structural element has not been explored.
Kamal & Arjun Malik, In Studio with Kohler
Located in a quiet corner of one of the busiest cities in the world, Malik Architecture surrounds itself in stories and rich history. "Every day it's good and refreshing to be here, you never feel like it's getting old and stagnating," says Arjun Malik. The two creative minds tell us more about how it feels to come back to work after two lockdowns.
AD100 2021: The definitive list of the 100 most influential architects and interior designers in India
Project in Focus: House Of Voids, Delhi: With their design for this New Delhi residence (below), Malik Architecture tempers the building’s connection to nature. A central courtyard is structured as a labyrinth of lateral and vertical volumes that dissipates natural light across the interiors, while also balancing the temperature within the house.
House of Three Streams by Malik Architecture
The topography of the land, the material memory of the surrounding forts, the light of the forest, and the deep-water discharging ravines have created a dominant palimpsest of contextual parameters onto which the house has been woven.
Spotlight on Architect Arjun Malik – World Architecture Day
On the special occasion of World Architecture Day, Canadian Wood and Architect and Interiors India are recognising architects of change whose works are truly rooted in sustainability and conscious design. The architect to be featured in this series is Architect Arjun Malik from Mumbai.
Stone House by Malik Architecture
Rajasthan is synonymous with sandstone as a building material but sadly, over the last few decades, this material has been reduced to a 'cladding 'medium and its potential as a robust and sustainable structural element has not been explored.
Architect of the Year
Arjun Malik, from Malik Architecture, won the JK Architect of the Year Award for House of Three Streams, Lonavla.
The House of Three Streams, A House Woven into Landscape, wins The Plan Award 2020 under villa category
The house occupies vacant spaces between areas of dense vegetation to prevent the cutting of existing trees. This allows the natural flow to thrive and enhances the experiential contact between built space and nature, improves the micro-climate and amplifies the cooling effect of the prevailing breezes.
Ahemdabad International School, By Malik Architecture
Discovery articulated through the assimilation of accumulated knowledge and its evolution through its future extrapolation forms the core of the educational process. The interrogation of the physical environment as a space of discovery and reflexive learning points towards the language of a matrix with nature at its nucleus.
Architecture & Design Excellence for House of Three Streams
As a home for 4 generations, it behaves like a condensed village, allowing for private and communal life. The massive load-bearing “ Fort” wall that traces the ridge between two ravines anchors the house, from where lightweight pavilions flow outwards to occupy natural clearings within the forest.
Malik Architecture wins Aces of Spaces Awards
"The founder and principal architect of Malik Architecture enters our Hall of Fame, thanks to his architecture that makes innovative use of local, sustainable as well as more contemporary materials."
An Exprience That Changed My Life- By Kamal Malik
Some experiences are truly life-changing. Something similar encouraged Ar. Kamal headlines a thought-provoking concern on whether architecture is about style or lifestyle and discusses factors that affect the way buildings today are styled. ‘An experience that changed my life’, a presentation by Ar. Kamal Malik.
A Staggering Retreat in Western India Follows the Contours of Hills and Forest
Father-and-son duo Kamal and Arjun Malik weave House of Three Streams, a 12,000-square-foot weekend home for their families, into its natural environment.
The Worlds Most Extraordinary Homes - India S2E6
Caroline and Piers, hosts for ‘The World's Most Extraordinary Homes’ visited the countryside pad The House of the Three Streams, which is little more than a roof and no walls.
Residence 2 at Alibaug By Malik Architecture Published in "Brutalism Now and Then"
A second home on the same site as house no. 1 was commissioned only weeks after construction began on the first house. We were now faced with the conundrum of creating a complementary foil to the distinctly extroverted structure that was perched on the apex of the hill.
Architectural Voices of India: By Apurva Bose Dutta
A blend of Contemporary and traditional Ethos brings 19 illustrious architects from 17 architectural practices of India across generations on a common platform, initiating a valuable discourse on architecture as a subject and a profession.
Inside Malik Architecture’s art-filled Mumbai Studio--By Anchal Kaushal
Located in a historic locale of South Mumbai, this studio has been Malik Architects’ headquarters since 1993. The firm moved here from the old office located at Nariman Point. "We were looking for a larger space and it was a stroke of good fortune that someone referred us to the landlord of this building.
In conversation with Arjun Malik: House of 3 Streams in Lonavala by Malik Architecture
House of Streams by Malik Architecture is featured in 'The World's Most Extraordinary Homes' India series by BBC.
House of Three Streams
Layers of history in dialogue with landscape and modernity Tung Fort, Maharashtra, India Nestled in a luxuriant monsoon forest in a mountainous region, this private residence is close enough to Mumbai to be a welcome retreat from the incessant throng of one of India’s largest cities.
At Work with Arjun Malik & Kamal Malik
We take you to the drawing boards of your design favourites, giving a glimpse of what keeps them ticking - tatty postcards, invaluable scribbles, priceless notes and more.
Kamal & Arjun Malik of Architecture & Creative Partnership in Association with Mother Nature
On the cover this month is the father-son architect duo of Kamal and Arjun Malik, as they discuss their take on design, and making it answerable to the environment. Hospitality and second-home design cross new boundaries with our feature on glamping - a glamorous take on camping.
The Omnipresent Cantilevers: Ar. Arjun Malik in conversation with Ar. Sukanya Balaji
In Arjun's words, "Structural engineering is another very strong part of what we do; we work with structural engineers. But, we have also found in India there is a problem. We have a very good history of civil engineering. You could think of Mahendra Raj in the past, but who can you think of today who is actually doing pioneering structural work? We can't think of a single name. So what is happening to our civil engineers? They go into MBA's or they do IT and they get into something else where they are going to get more recognition or could make a better living because we have taken the 'structural engineer' and kept him in the bottom of the biome. The few who manage to survive are working exclusively with developers and none of them are going into details- maybe a little bit of steel or concrete and what happens to other materials? They are neglected. This is why every time we work on these so-called alternative technologies, we are calling them 'alternative'. These were the fundamental technologies with which our old communities had been built. They should not be alternative materials but should be mainstream technologies.
The Influential Individuals : Ar Arjun Malik
Arjun completed his undergraduate studies at the Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture in Mumbai in 2002. He then worked with his father Kamal Malik for 2 years, after which he went to New York and received his Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design, from Columbia University in New York.
AD50 2017 Avant-Garde: Malik Architecture
The bold, experimental & innovative- By Gauri Kelkar. “We first understand the context, which can be quite elastic depending on the project, and analyse the existing archetypes and improve upon them. Nature also serves as a nucleus, and determines the path of a project,” says Arjun...
K-Lagoon House by Malik architecture
The home presents an interesting concept which seeks the existing trees and foliage of the site. This was achieved by creating a fragmented or decentralized complex of structures interconnected by deeply shaded walkways. This idea of ‘fragmentation’ inadvertently led to the development of courts that form green spaces.
K-lagoon at Alibaug by Malik Architecture
The concept echoes a deep understanding of centuries of traditional ‘Konkan’ construction techniques albeit interpreted in a contemporary syntax. The site is deeply forested and we knew that we wanted to achieve the final product with a minimum impact on the existing flora, without disturbing nature’s equilibrium.
Critical Review Truth, Trusses and Fair Opinions
The tenth edition of the 361° Conference 2017, titled ‘Architectural Revolution’ presented the opportunity for several prominent architects from around the world to set a stage for thought-provoking dialogue on the reactions to the challenges of designing in the digital century.
Weekend House in Alibaug by Malik Architecture: In conversation with Arjun Malik
Located in Alibaug, a district located three hours from downtown Mumbai and formerly an agricultural and fishing zone, the home is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the Arabian Sea and the skyline of Mumbai to the west.
Feature: Alibaug Residence by Malik Architecture
The site for this home is a hill in Alibaug, one which enjoys a stunning view, not only of the rolling contours surrounding it but of the sea and the skyline of Mumbai in the distance. Conceptually, the design of the home is a departure from the “stepped terrace” typology that one would conventionally employ on a heavily contoured site.
Lupin Research Park by Malik Architecture
A terracotta-coloured earth wall bounding the edge of a research complex in Pune, India, vanishes into a hillside. Designed by Malik Architecture, the research centre for pharmaceutical company Lupin also features an open amphitheatre, water fountains and an auditorium inside an aluminium cube.
GMS Grande Palladium by Malik Architecture
Pointed cantilevers project above an office block that is sandwiched between a corporate complex and a slum in Mumbai (photographs by Edmund Sumner).Designed by Indian studio Malik Architecture, the GMS Grande Palladium building has a faceted exterior of tessellated glass and ridged aluminium.
House at Alibag by Malik Architecture
This jumbled house in India features an elevated steel tunnel, bridged corridors and a rooftop swimming pool on stilts. Designed by Indian studio Malik Architecture, House at Alibag is located on a hilltop facing the Mumbai skyline.
Awards
2023
Dezeen Awards
IFBE (Shortlisted)
The Plan Award
IFBE (Finalist)
D/List
Malik Architecture
World Architecture Festival
House of Solid Stone (Finalist)
World Architecture Festival
IFBE (Finalist)
Kyoorius Design Awards
IFBE (Winner)
Kyoorius Design Awards
Radisson Hotel (Winner)
AD 100
IF.BE
AD Excellence Award
Kamal Malik (Custodian of Culture)
2021
JK Architect of the year
House of Three Streams
The Plan Award
House of Solid Stone (Finalist)
2020
The Plan Award
House of Three Streams (Winner)
2019
Forbes Awards
House of Three Streams (Best House Architecture)
2018
Saffron Stays Select Awards
House of Three Streams (Vaction Home with a unique structure)
NDTV Awards
House of Three Streams (House Design of the Year)
2017
ArcAsia Awards
K - Lagoon (Single Family Residensial project)
Construction World Architect & Builder Award
K - Lagoon (Noteworthy Project)
Acetech Alpha Awards
K - Lagoon(Architectural - Residential)
Acetech Alpha Awards
Architect's Loft (Interior Designer - Residential Area)
Archi Design Awards
Private Residence at Delhi (Best Private Residence)
2015
Architecture Digest - AD 50
The Fifty most influential names in Indian Architecture and Design.
Construction World - Awards of Excellence
Malik Architecture
International Property Awards
K - Lagoon (Single Residence)
2014
CW Architect and Builder Awards
K-Lagoon House (India's Top 10 Innovative Architect)
Construction World Architect & Builder Award
India's Top Innovisionary Architect
Artist in Concrete Awards
Residence at Alibag-2 (Residential Architecutre)
Trends Excellence Awards
Knowledge Infrastructure (Office Interior)
Archi Design Awards
Residence at Alibag-2 (Best Private Residence)
Trends Excellence Awards
Knowledge Infrastructure office (Office interior)
Kohler & Abraxas Award - Designer of Tomorrow
Architect's Loft & Knowledge Infrastructure Office
NDTV Design and Architecture Awards
Architetect's Loft (Best Residence Interior)
AutoDesk
Architect's Loft (Recognition for Excellence Ref : NDTV)
Architecture + Design & Cera Awards
Architect's Loft (Innovative Interior Design)
2013
Artist in concrete Awards
GMS Grande Palladium (Commercial Awards)
Trends Excellence Awards
Malik Architecture (Interior Design Workspace)
2012
IGEN Design Forum
Certificate of Felicitation
2011
INSDAG
GMS Grande Palladium (National Competition for Structural Steel Design & Construction)
2010
Archi Design
GMS Grande Palladium (Design Excellence in Architecture with Steel)
Indian Institute of Architecture
Residence at Alibaug (Residential Category)
Archi Design
GMS Grande Palladium (Best Commercial Building)
Archi Design
Residence at Alibaug (Best Private Residence)
Asia Pacific Awards
Grande Palladium (Office Category)
IADF - Indian Archtecture Design Festival
Where Architecture meets Architects - Felicitation
Archi Design
(Architect of the Year)
Ishanya
Asia Pacific Awards
Ishanya (Mixed-Used Category)
Asia Pacific Awards
Grande Palladium (Best Architecture Award)
Asia Pacific Awards
Residence at Alibaug (Best Architecture Award)
2008
Construction World
Top 10 Architects
IIA, Aurangabad
Token of Appreciation
IIID, Pune
Award of Appreciation
2006
Construction World
India's Top Architects
A+D Spectrum
Felicitation
Collaborations
Ice Factory Ballard Estate
The Ice and the Banyan Tree…they provided the spark of inspiration that resulted in the IFBE project”- Kamal Malik For about 140 summers, ice was served to Bombay’s well-heeled from this ice factory at a time when refrigeration was a rare commodity. This area was once a thriving commercial center owing to its proximity to the docks, the Ballard Pier Mole railway station and the many trade headquarters that sprung up here, all of which bore testimony to Bombay’s stature in the maritime world. The location of the ice factory is in Bombay’s last standing heritage precinct-Ballard Estate-buzzing with office goers in the daytime and mellow and still after dusk, the elegant Edwardian architecture and leafy enclaves staring defiantly at the concrete jungle that is the rest of Mumbai. Kamal Malik, founder of Malik Architecture chanced upon this space that comfortably straddles Calicut and Cochin Street and recalls communing strongly with the majestic banyan tree on the premises. This was the exact moment when the ice factory ceased to exist in concept and the vision of IFBE was born.
Despite a century of decay, the site was destined to be a seed of urban regeneration and a wonderful experiment in adaptive re-use for the MA studio. The project was steeped in logistical, financial, and structural challenges from the beginning. Everything from treating decaying foundations to slow painstaking work to restore the original materials to expert retrofitting resulted in a labor of love that took almost 36 months to complete. “The thickly plastered walls were scraped scrupulously for close to 4 months alone before the first semblance of brickwork could emerge”, Arjun Malik says. The ice factory is now Ice Factory Ballard Estate. IFBE. The acronym IFBE was coined to pay homage to its location’s rich heritage; it also alludes to the independent words ‘IF’ suggestive of endless possibilities and a sense of wonder and ‘BE’ a counterweight that provides balance and (re)solutions. This is akin to the aesthetic in architecture known as a ‘Liminal Space’ which refers to a transition between two other locations or states of being. It is derived from the Latin word ‘limen’ which means ‘threshold’-the space between ‘what was’ and ‘what can be’. THIS is what IFBE represents: a platform where existing behaviors and perceptions are challenged, where open dialogue moves from the currently trending to the truly relevant, where pluralism, self-expression and innovation abound, where architecture, design and the arts finally move beyond their own aesthetically bound definition to becoming instruments that drive holistic and enduring change. Speaking of the spaces put together and individually, Kamal says with love and conviction, “No number of words can convey the hallowed, museum-like quality there.” He insists that to perceive IFBE’s spatial and personal impact, one needs to be there, in a deepening twilight, when the place is lit up in a way that reminds him of a medieval citadel. A citadel of design enquiry.
Mission and Vision of IFBE
IFBE is committed to becoming a national platform that connects the grassroots to the urban communities and engages with private and public institutions alike to promote the core values of sustainability, responsible activism and empathy (only with this can we look beyond our own needs to acknowledging and planning for the needs of society and our planet as a whole) and fostering inclusiveness and interconnectedness through themes that resonate with visitors, participants and curators alike. IFBE strives to be the proponent of ‘de-learning’ through carefully curated workshops, exhibitions, lecture series, internships and provocative conversations facilitated by global and local change agents ; through these lenses one acknowledges the current state of affairs and collaboratively, compassionately, creatively and responsibly recalibrates settings to both protect a fragile physical ecology as well as transcend myopic political and cultural narratives to build a coalition of like minded human beings and communities committed to a better world.
For more information visit www.ifbe.space
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