The river Yamuna is revered as the divine mother in Hindu mythology, and is considered the cradle of Indian civilisation and a lifeline for the northern Indian heartland.

The river originates in Yamunotri, the glacier located in the Garhwal Himalayas, 4,421 m above sea level. Mythology holds this locale sacred as the seat of the Goddess Yamuna.

This project draws inspiration from the mystic charm of Yamunotri, in tribute to the Yamuna river that borders the site. The architectural language comprises free forms and fluid lines, metaphorically reminiscent of the nascent Yamuna gushing through the snow-capped river boulders.

The accommodation incorporates two hotels – a 550-room hotel with 60 serviced apartments, a ballroom, a spa and 12 restaurants, and a smaller, high-quality hotel, with 230 spacious bedrooms, restaurants and leisure facilities.

The hotels and 66,000 m2 of offices occupy the tall, slender elements of the building, while the ‘boulders’ accommodate elements such as the multiplex cinema, atrium, auditorium, health club and ballroom. The retail mall (38,000 m2) emulates the river, ‘flowing’ through the space and providing a connection between the various elements.

Disclaimer: Shaun Killa was Design Director, Head of the Architecture department and Principal Design Architect at Aktins. In 2016, the client contracted Killa Design to complete the Schematic and detailed designs as well as site supervision of the project.