Ninety-two per cent of the world’s diamonds are cut in Surat, Gujarat, with the city being home to the world’s largest diamond trading community. Most traders, however, commute over 250 kilometres daily by train to reach Mumbai to conduct their business, significantly impacting their cost of living and commuting as well as access to a healthy lifestyle. Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) brings this community together, uniting all activities of cutting, polishing, and trading under one roof.

Given the development’s scale, the primary challenge was to accommodate 67,000 professionals within trading time constraints. The design draws from the fishbone system of delivery, with movement seamlessly directed from a central spine into nine towers that branch out from it.

SDB is a seed building for the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, an upcoming business district, and has catalysed unprecedented socio-economic development. Built entirely by the community for the community as a cooperative, the building is a testament to a shared vision. The design employs passive strategies integrating solar control, air movement, and orientation to facilitate a suitable microclimate and cut down the building’s energy footprint. As a result, it consumes fifty per cent less energy than industry green benchmarks (IGBC) Platinum rating.

Lighting: KSA Lighting Designers. Finishes: Marble: Classic Marble CMC, Local marble vendors, Tiles: Local Manufacturers from a nearby town called, Morbi. Fittings & Fixtures: Sanitary: Kohler, AC system: Daikin and Midea.

Photography: Edmund Sumner