Architecture
Architecture

Brownfield Redevelopment of Lakshmi Mills
Brand: Lakshmi Mills
Client: The Lakshmi Mills Company Ltd
Entrant: Studio Lotus

The First List

Entry Title:	Brownfield Redevelopment of Lakshmi Mills
Brand:	Lakshmi Mills
Client:	The Lakshmi Mills Company Ltd
Entrant Company:	Studio Lotus
Description:	Once home to one of India’s oldest fabric manufacturers, the 21-acre Lakshmi Mills in Coimbatore has been reimagined as a vibrant, walkable hub of commerce and community. The project exemplifies the potential of adaptive reuse and placemaking to transform underutilised industrial clusters into civic precincts that foster connections between people and their cities. Straddling a major arterial road, the porous boundary blurs the edge between the campus and its neighbourhood. Vehicular access is restricted to the periphery, encouraging pedestrian movement through shaded avenues and green spaces. Retained sheds and walkways enhance porosity, while wayfinding plaques support narrative walking tours. The design approach is driven by a deep commitment to honouring the mills’ original features, preserving industrial elements—exposed brick, steel beams, trussed roofs—layered with contemporary finishes. Retaining most structures yielded measurable impact: the project limited embodied carbon to 105 kgCO₂e/m²—an 82% reduction from the ~600 kgCO₂e/m² a new building would have consumed. Anchored by Lulu Mall and Coimbatore’s first Starbucks, it draws upto 10,000 visitors on weekends. Tenants report sales ~20% above expectations. With future phases including an indoor street market and public programming, Lakshmi Mills demonstrates how adaptive reuse can drive environmental and economic regeneration.
Company Credits:	Studio Lotus
Individual Credits:	Ambrish Arora
Individual Credits:	Sidhartha Talwar
Individual Credits:	Yatin Tokas
Individual Credits:	Somik Beura
Individual Credits:	Raunak Raj
Individual Credits:	Subrata Ray
Individual Credits:	Shamik Chatterjee
Individual Credits:	Mohit Chopra