It is definitely a new concept in space utilisation - the executive lounge and the beer parlour, suspended from the roof at the departure centre of the new international terminal of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. But hey, what is Salvador Dali’s cheesy melting clock doing out there? Ticking, actually ticking, unlike Dali’s distorted unreliable clocks that hang down the branch of a tree or laze around on a wooden box in that famed painting - ‘Persistence of Memory’.
Look up at the brightly-lit lounge again and you will find the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading not the rats, but mice - computer mouse, in dozens that is. Whether this is the only airport lounge that has so many art installations or not is a question of debate, these artworks by Premjith S Babu, Shafeek Doodle and Sabulal B K are sure to hold your attention for a while.
‘’Installations is an art form that can transform the perception of a space. Here we have attempted to portray four different subjects - art, literature, science and technology and the man-woman relationship,’’ said Shafeek.
While technology is connected to that all-time dream of human beings to fly, the man-woman relationship is represented by a big red apple that even has a worm sticking out of it. ‘’What is special about these installations is the materials used for its creation - they are all recycled waste material,’’ said Shafeek.
So you find a bird constructed out of used and discarded spoons and the Pied Piper’s bugle created out of the silencer of a bike. And the man who rides a cycle, they say, has been created out of old circuits. ‘’We have turned e-waste in to a new art form,’’ said Sabulal, who is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts in the city.
Climb up the carpeted stairway and it is 2500 sq ft of reception area in hues of red and orange, the lounge area called the Silver Castle along with a beer parlour aptly titled Blue Moods. The interior of the beer parlour has been designed totally by Sabulal, in shades of lilac, blue and orange. The bar counter has an additional element of metallic silver hue to it. Choice of furniture is diverse in shape, height and colour, perhaps to cater to the different needs of the variety of people who would be using the airport.
Silver castle, that has a special lighting pattern with ceiling lamps, can seat 40 persons at a time. A tree, with a real trunk, gives the lounge a green cool feeling. The same goes with the flooring, which is done in wood. Furniture is chic, modern, uniform, in shape, size and colour, but most importantly, comfortable.
‘’What was most difficult about this project was getting the workers here. The security is so tight and formal that the workers used to get fed up of it,’’
said Sabulal, who has a interior design house of his own, by the name Yakshi Creatives. Yakshi has been involved in the interior designing of several commercial and residential projects, including the corporate office for Happy and Ruby Group, information counters for KTDC and the Parryware showroom at Eanchakkal.