Rooshad Shroff: Making Craft relevant again
Architect and Designer Rooshad Shroff discusses everything from his passion for Indian crafts, his experiments with centuries-old techniques and his obsession with marble…
One of his first exhibitions was titled ‘15,556’; it referenced the man-hours that went into creating the exhibits. More recently, he launched his collection of candles. “It took me two-and-a-half years to get the scent right,” quips the multi-faceted architect Rooshad Shroff. It clearly shows how passionate he is about not just the outcome, but the whole process. From the first thought to the final execution, and everything in between. It is also evocative of the respect he has for his craft and those associated with him. Architecture, or design may have been a natural choice for him—he was born to an architect father, and an interior designer mother; but the identity he chose for himself was distinct. Over the years, he’s become synonymous with his experiments and explorations with centuries-old techniques. Combining the inherent ornamentation associated with Indian crafts with his minimal aesthetics, might seem like an improbable language to articulate, but Shroff executes it deftly. What has emerged from his distinct design lexicon are reimagined archetypes of Indian product design.
FROM BEING ‘TOO ZAHA’ TO FINDING HIS IDENTITY
Shroff completed his graduation from Cornell University in Ithaca, Upstate New York and master’s from Harvard University, Massachusetts in the US. His stint with Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid, the Grand Dame of Architecture marked the beginning of his career. Shroff was mesmerized by her radical approach to design. “Everything she did was inspiring – her paintings, models, defiance of gravity, and seamless and fluid forms,” says Shroff. “What most often happens with people working at Zaha is that because it’s so stylised in terms of its architectural identity, it somehow gets engraved within people. It often gets difficult to break away from such a strong influence. I took a conscious decision not to replicate that aesthetic.” What influenced him more was the work ethics at OMA/REX in New York. “Both the firms were distinct in their approach to design. At Zaha, I would say, it was a very strong prescribed aesthetics, while at OMA/REX it was very process oriented. The way in which a project would be approached, understood, and then delivered through a series of iterations and model making and finally come up with the best possible solution — I imbibed a lot from my stint with them. The process of working has been a great influence and can be seen in the way I approach most of my designs,” says Shroff.
THE DESIGNER’S DEN
We met him at this gallery in the tony precincts of Horniman Circle, Mumbai. Located in one of the most sought-after pin codes of the city, the gallery opens to a sprawling view of the city– the iconic stairs of the Asiatic Library and the Horniman Circle garden on one side, the towering BSE
The Gyaan Project has been the most enriching project so far, on multiple levels. Working with artisans, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the fashion, art and design segments, and working towards a social cause. The entire process was a magnificent experience.” —RO0SHAD SHROFF
Architect and Designer