The design of the Swabhumi Raajkutir responds to the existing building shells, while celebrating the legacy of Kolkata and Bengali craftsmanship.
– Vivek Singh Rathore

Salient has converted a 1990s development called Swabhumi Plaza into a boutique hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The plaza was built to celebrate the heritage of Bengal through performance, food and culture.

The new Swabhumi Raajkutir hotel has been designed in the style of a pre-independence, 19th century Bengali home to transport guests back to the Bengali Renaissance.

The design theme for the property is based on a fictitious story of ‘Kaliprasanna Singha’ who defended his home from British soldiers.

Owned by the Ambuja Neotia Group, the five-star, 33-room property has ornate interiors, wrought iron verandahs and courtyards with fountains.

It also has modern amenities such as a spa and wellness centre and an events and convention space that can accommodate up to 2,200 guests for weddings, conferences and festivals.

The development has been designed around living, celebrating, shopping, dining, and socialising and beyond the hotel is a variety of other offerings, including a multi-level retail street that is home to boutiques, jewellery stores and art and decor shops. The 13-acre site also has restaurants, lounges and pubs.

Around 60 per cent of the original building was conserved, with new sections designed to showcase Bengali craftsmanship, featuring elements such as kota stone, cast-iron balconies, patios and crests. The hotel is painted yellow-ochre and peach to portray Bengal’s support of the feminist movement.

Speaking to CLAD, design principal at Salient Vivek Singh Rathore said: “The design of the Swabhumi Raajkutir responds to the existing building shells, while celebrating the legacy of Kolkata and Bengali craftsmanship."