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| Asokan, Decker Designers and Decorators at Kallai, Kozhikode |
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When Steve Philip, an American businessman, wanted to construct his huge 40000 sq.ft. bungalow at Annapolis, Baltimore, whom did he contact for furniture and wooden works? Answer: Asokan, son of traditional architect Vasu Achary of Kozhikode.
Asokan, who runs Decker Designers and Decorators at Kallai, Kozhikode, started the firm in 1974 with just 2 workers to produce wooden furniture. Today, it employs 200 professionals dealing with different styles of Indian architecture.
Among the better creations of his are the 3-storied, 16000 sq.ft mansion he did for Good Knight Mohan in Mumbai, the ‘ettukette’ at Juhu, Mumbai and the bungalow at Thirupur styled after the Palace at Mysore.
Asokan, who studied traditional architecture from his father, later learnt interior decoration from London and carpentry design from the Prototype Production Training Centre, Gujarat. From 1972 till its closure in 1974, he worked as a designer at the Standard Furniture Company.
Asokan, who once dreamt of becoming an Art Director in movies, is now contented with what the traditional knowledge has given him. From a firm that used to make just furnitures, his firm started taking up big projects and turnkey works since 1986. “By then interior designing had gained prominence. The architect used to discuss the plan with the interior designer,” he says.
He takes up 4 to 5 projects at a time. Many of these works extend from 6 months to 2 years. The most time-consuming and perhaps the most intricate work executed by him so far was the Mysore Palace-style building at Thirupur, Tamil Nadu. It took 85 of his workers 2 years to complete the job.
The celebrities who have utilized his talents include Mammootty, Mohan Lal, businessmen K.C.Babu and K.C.Rajan etc. Other visible symbols of his art include the indoor stadium at Kozhikode, Standard Chartered Bank etc.
He feels contented to have made the Malayalis look endearingly, though in a small measure, at their traditional architecture.
Courtesy: Harisankaran (text), Sunil Inframe (photo), India Today, December 15, 2004
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