Creating luxury residential properties commands a drive to effortlessly incorporate the far-reaching list of amenities essential to the luxury-seeking family, while simultaneously capturing and honoring the surrounding culture into its space. Mr. Adarsh Jatia, Managing Director of Provenance Land, has showcased this drive and genuine passion in the company’s creation of five Greenfield projects, numerous highly desirable developments, and India’s two iconic properties: the Hyatt Regency Pune, and most recently, the Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai.
Mr. Jatia and his company are establishing themselves as a formidable player in the luxury real estate industry by not only identifying and comprehending the high net worth individual’s needs, but also conceptualizing those needs into beautiful and refined living spaces. Provenance Land has collaborated with the world-renowned Canadian luxury hospitality company, Four Seasons, to create the stunning Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai.
The astonishing fifty-five floors of the Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai hosts twenty-six marvelous residences, providing guests with one-of-a-kind views of Mumbai’s city and sea along with the promised hospitality of the Four Seasons brand. Mr. Jatia has designed the residences with a focus on the valuable “bungalow style” of one or more floors, giving guests the space they need to feel relaxed and at ease. To be completed in 2018 and towering 650 feet over Mumbai, this building is said to be the first of its kind. We speak to him to understand the new homes and the Indian real estate market in which they are placed.
Laura Philhower: How have you worked with Four Seasons to successfully symbolize Mumbai and the Indian culture in these residences?
Adarsh Jatia: Four Seasons does not adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach – especially in luxury residential development. They develop residences that are in harmony with each market, adapting to the local culture for the style, design, floor plans and hotel-inspired amenities. We at Provenance Land understand our local culture and celebrate it. Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai has been designed keeping in mind the demographics of the HNI family and their needs. For example, our apartments cater to multi-generational living where you may require larger living spaces and multiple master bedrooms, more generous wardrobe spaces. We have had instances where we have combined multiple residences and created a triplex that caters to the needs of all family members. This allows the residents the freedom to customize their apartments to suit their individual lifestyles that is not product mandated.
LP: Additionally, were there any Indian cultural inspirations that weighed heavily in deciding fabrics and interior design?
AJ: A motif that recurs across the interiors is that of heirloom gemstones and jewels. The interiors of the property will be punctuated by the sumptuous theme of jewels – precious possessions that have been passed down through generations of Indian families. This theme touches upon India’s heritage of gemstones – where they have been historically been found and cut. This theme will be expressed, however, with a decidedly contemporary expression of angular lines and fine proportions.
The jewel element will be expressed through objects such as lighting and select furniture items in public areas and diaphanous finishes such as perforated bronze. This layer will add elegance and femininity to the otherwise masculine core of the building. In broader terms, it alludes to the scarcity of a true luxury experience by referencing an object that has traditionally represented and embodied family wealth and prestige.
LP: How have you created a private, personal and timeless space? What features do you think best promote luxury in the residences?
AJ: At a time when luxury living spaces offer designer interiors and celebrity endorsements, what’s missing in my opinion, is the understanding of what constitutes true luxury. Luxury is more about the intangibles than just the tangibles. It is an immersive, encompassing experience that lets the consumer put down his guard entirely. Take privacy for instance, a timeless luxury that allows one to switch off from the chaos of the world and sink into a lifestyle that offers respite and re-energizes the mind. There is a quiet beauty in privacy that is priceless.
The vision for the development is that it becomes an escape – a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. We are creating a magical setting with extensive landscaping, which will provide palpable relief from the urbanity of the city. As soon as you enter the property, you will feel like you have arrived into a sanctuary, where life slows down.
Today’s luxury customer is social and entertains extensively. With this in mind, our project has been planned with fully serviced private amenities – an extension of the Residences. Whether it is a private dinner for ten at the dining room at The Residence Club on level 51 or a movie screening or a celebration for 300 guests on the rooftop lounge, all this will be available at the Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai. Furthermore, our residences are themselves very large with living rooms ranging from 1,100 to 2,600 sq.
LP: The economy in India, while getting better, is troubled in real estate at the moment. How do you see these luxury residences as an opportunity to work in your favor?
AJ: These kinds of developments are recession proof. A home is not just an investment. When you are buying a home, your investment parameters should be different from those of a financial investment. It is important not to confuse the two. Investments usually have a defined term while homes are for a lifetime. A home addresses a lifestyle need of a family while an investment should only be focused on returns. A home is not just about IQ, it is also about EQ (emotional intelligence).
LP: What risks did you factor in your decision to take on this project in India’s market?
AJ: As a generational hotelier fascinated by fine living and bespoke services, it has been my vision to bring the two worlds of hospitality and home together and craft a quintessentially luxury residential development.
I wanted to pioneer one of the most inspiring residential developments in the country. I am proud to say that there are many firsts in this project. To begin with, a 55 story tower with only 26 Residences, in the heart of Mumbai is in itself unique. To put things in perspective, this would be the lowest density high-rise residential project by Four Seasons globally. This level of exclusivity is highly coveted. It allows for a lifestyle reminiscent of the landed residential tradition but with a contemporary twist.
As far as risks go, being a pioneer in any field comes with its own set of risks. However, we believe that there is a pent up demand for a product like ours and the Indian residential market is ready for such developments. As a testament to this, our initial list of residents has only reinforced this belief.
LP: If you had to give us one very important trend in residential design, what would it be?
AJ: A branded, managed and serviced residence is the new trend. And we are the pioneers of this in India. With us you are not buying into a property, you are buying into a Four Seasons lifestyle. The Four Seasons brand is involved with the development from preconstruction all the way through the lifetime of the asset.
LP: After the 2018 completion of the Four Seasons Residences in Mumbai, are you working on developing more Four Seasons hotels and/or residences in India?
AJ: We are working on a couple of very exciting properties in Mumbai that I cannot disclose at this stage. Watch this space this for more.
LP: What is the future for your company? Does Provenance Land have an interest in new markets outside of India?
AJ: Our strength over the last 35 years has been in luxury hospitality, having built five Greenfield Hotel projects in partnership with Hyatt International and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. We are now focusing on mixed-use luxury developments (residential, hospitality and retail) in major metros of India. We are currently working on two projects in Mumbai that will be announced shortly.
Apart from luxury mixed-use projects, I am deeply passionate about evolving urban environments. Take the High Line project in New York for example, or even projects like the Gardens by the Bay, the Esplanade or Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. These cities are constantly reinventing themselves with a keen focus on great architecture, arts and culture for their future generations.
When was the last time Mumbai created something like that? It is about time Mumbai started to think on these lines. I would love to build the next iconic center for performing arts, or an arts and entertainment district like Singapore’s Dempsey Hills or Toronto’s Distillery for Mumbai.
