With its mix of high luxury and an eco-conscious approach, the ITC Royal Gardenia hotel in Bengaluru combines traditional and modern architectural approaches for a stunning aesthetic.
Nestled in the heart of India’s third largest city, this hotel is the first in Asia to receive LEED’s platinum certification. It achieved this triumph of green building while perfectly maintaining the iconic charm and essence of its location in southwest India.
From the ground up, the Royal Gardenia has taken sustainability into consideration in every aspect of its construction and operation. This green approach allows it to fit seamlessly into the verdant skyline of India’s ‘garden city’.
The first thing that strikes guests when arriving is the beautifully appointed atrium where they can check in to the hotel’s 292 rooms and suites set across 30 floors. Alongside the exquisite décor, guests may also notice the total lack of air conditioning.
The open steel and glass atrium space is wind cooled and abundant with greenery, forming a breezy, welcoming space where landscaping and architecture blend together near indistinguishably.
The lobby of the ITC Royal Gardenia is air-cooled, removing the need for air conditioning
A garden haven for eco-conscious tourists
The air-cooled atrium connects out to the jewel in the crown for the Royal Gardenia’s green aesthetic – its central garden courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard is the Lotus Pavilion, a multi-pillared tribute to the surrounding Karnataka region which is inspired by an 18th century Sultan’s summer palace.
The Pavilion’s sloping grass-covered roofs are reflected in the surrounding greenery of the hotel’s stunning steel-built vertical gardens. Mounted on a rising structural steel arrangement, the gardens climb all the way to the courtyard ceiling and are watered using a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system.
The drips of water evenly distribute moisture across the locally grown plants before collecting at the garden base and being recycled for use. The hotel also uses a steel-built rain collecting system that feeds into the hotel’s water system, which also incorporates treated sewage water.
The Lotus Pavilion grass roof and steel-built vertical gardens use a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system
The water is also used to maintain room temperature regulation across the rooms and suites. For cooling, the Royal Gardenia uses steel-built Evergreen Chillers – the world’s first integrated variable speed, variable flow, water cooled and environmentally friendly screw chillers.
The system operates on a single steel-built loop that circulates chilled water through the chillers and main building, including usage in the hotel’s deep freezers and cold storage. This improves energy efficiency, lowers operational costs and removes the need for a cooling tower which would compromise the building’s garden aesthetic.
Natural lighting or energy efficient lighting systems are used to illuminate the garden space, while the hotel utilizes renewable wind energy across its operations. Solar power is used to generate hot water and food waste is composted on sited used for the growing of organic food. Hotel produce is grown locally, with a travel distance under a kilometre which contributes to a lower carbon footprint.
With its innovative approach to sustainability integrated into every facet of its operation, the ITC Royal Gardenia sets a new standard for five-star hotels and proves that luxury and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Images: Marriott