In 1960s and ‘70s Madras, for those of us taking Air India, the booking office in Egmore was a familiar landmark. That iconic building now has a new façade.
Architects Sunil Philip and Sidharth Ninan partnered with V.L Venkatasubramaniam to conceive Build HQ, a one-of-a-kind building material marketplace for consumers, architects, interior designers and the building material industry with a clear focus on brands. Curated on 55,000 sq.ft. over two floors in the heart of Chennai, you walk past big names such as Kohler, Dormakaba and Saint Gobain, unique offerings of marble, wood, stonework and glass, highly functional solutions for flooring, screens, cabinets and windows and furniture brands such as Featherlite, Kaizen and Bab Living.
Build HQ aims to be accessible to a wide audience, with a focus on building relationships. Designers, architects, brands and consumers — everyone starts talking to each other. “This is a springboard for brands to showcase their products,” says Philip; they have 60 now and will eventually have 80. You may not feel like driving out to the outskirts of the city to view your options for marble, but a stop at Build HQ will do.
