When viewed from a distance, Hampi Art Labs could pass for a spectacular riverbank – if a riverbank did such a thing as levitate. Located in southern India near the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi, the structure is a sleight of hand by leading Indian architect Sameep Padora (behind numerous Indian houses, such as Lattice House, as well as Wallpaper* Design Awards Best Public Building 2021 Temple of Steps).
Hampi Art Labs undulates with the landscape, echoing the nearby Tungabhadra River and exuding a lightness of being that belies its sculptural proportions. Spread across 18 acres of virgin land, the recently opened arts centre, founded by Sangita Jindal and Tarini Jindal Handa of Indian powerhouse JSW, plays host to exhibition spaces, studios, ceramic and printmaking workshops, gardens, apartments for residencies, and a café.
