studio Hinge has designed a library hidden under a series of wooden tree-like canopies in Mumbai, India.
Mumbai-based architecture and interior design firm studio Hinge has designed a library hidden under a series of wooden tree-like canopies in Mumbai, India. Named Forest of Knowledge, the 420-square-metre space was completed for the exclusive members-only Cricket Club of India, Mumbai, a gathering place for Bombay’s former colonial elite. Its main pavilion, a subdued Art Deco structure from 1938, has a view of a historic cricket stadium.
Designed during the Covid lockdown and made available to members in January 2023, the library is envisioned as a house of knowledge that invites people to gather and share knowledge, going beyond just books. A research on what a library can be in these digital times has influenced the design. The design is inspired by nature, specifically the idea of reading a book while sitting beneath a tree, as well as by the lovely tree canopy that spans the nearby street, according to studio Hinge
