Set within an age-old context, the AK-OK workspace by Anamika Khanna in Alipore, Kolkata explores a balance between the old and the new, the classic and the contemporary. Located within a larger campus with outdoor recreational areas and a tailoring block, the 9,500 sq ft studio occupies an existing three-storeyed structure with Art Deco details, demonstrating how adaptive reuse can push design boundaries while respecting the original built form.

Guided by the brand’s ‘Everything is Ok’ philosophy, the design adopts an additive approach that favours layering over demolition. Original elements such as dull pink terrazzo floors, remnants of mouldings and the curved staircase handrail are retained, while textured finishes and interventions in wood, concrete and metal introduce a rugged contemporary character, accommodating administrative, creative and production functions across three levels.

The design journey unfolds through wayfinding and landscape elements in corten steel and distressed concrete, leading to the main building. Entering from the north through a corten-clad portal, the central waiting area connects to meeting rooms and administrative spaces on the west, and an indoor outdoor cafeteria to the south-east, with textured grey finishes and curated art setting the tone.

The Art Deco staircase, with its curved timber handrail and terrazzo composition, anchors movement across all floors. The first level houses Anamika’s cabin, senior offices, designers’ stations and archives, while upper floors accommodate open workstations, hybrid meeting rooms and executive cabins, complemented by upgraded washrooms and an eclectic cafeteria that extends outdoors, bringing

Across the workspace, zones are layered with eclectic accents, soft furnishings and artwork, integrated with fixed and movable furniture in wood and metal. Sleek mild steel and wood shelving creates continuity across meeting rooms, administrative areas and private workspaces, while custom open shelving forms functional backdrops in community zones, the boardroom and Anamika’s cabin.

Furniture compositions blend classic references with contemporary detailing, from slender timber seating with woven backs to modular and mid-century accent chairs paired with concrete-finished tables. Floating workstations, metal desks and concrete worktables establish a raw yet refined language, enriched by fabric artworks, curated framed art and handpicked rugs that add warmth and softness.

Carrying the language of contemporary classicism forward, custom lighting is composed through layered interventions. Slender track lights provide ambient illumination, while circular concrete pendants hover over meeting and community tables, and cornice lighting in bathrooms casts a warm upward glow, accented by brass globular fixtures.

Extending outward, a vibrant facade mural reflects AK-OK’s artistic spirit, inviting exploration of the design campus. Celebrating the building’s original soul, the workspace weaves sunlight, textured greys, accent rugs and retained cornice details into a balanced dialogue between old and new, forming a calm, lyrical setting for contemporary design.