Hover Space – Extension to the KLE Society Head Office / Thirdspace Architecture StudioSave this picture!© Andre J FanthomeOffice Buildings•Belagavi, India Architects: Thirdspace Architecture Studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  12916 ft² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2020 Photographs Photographs:Andre J Fanthome, Suryan and DangMore SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. A new addition to a 50-year-old corporate office within a century-old educational campus in Belagavi posed a unique design challenge: to expand the existing structure without compromising its integrity, disrupting its daily operations, or overshadowing its historical significance.Save this picture!Though architecturally unremarkable, the original two-storey building held deep institutional value. It had already been retrofitted and was in constant use, making any intrusive structural intervention unfeasible. The expansion needed to respond sensitively to three distinct contexts — its location on a major city road, its position as a frontage to the historic campus, and its edge along the sports ground.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The solution was a minimalist yet strategic intervention: a new structure that floats above the old, supported by just eight cylindrical RCC columns that avoid existing activities below. This hovering volume, framed by two full-floor-height red trusses, forms an open-plan office of 1,000 sqm, visually light and spatially efficient. A vertical circulation core connects the addition to the ground, forming an L-shaped profile that creates a striking triple-height entry portal aligned with a central tree-lined avenue. This not only marks a threshold into the campus but also frames heritage structures within.Save this picture!Wrapped in a continuous verandah inspired by colonial architecture, the new office engages with its surroundings while mitigating the climate. The verandah serves as a social space and climatic buffer, shielding the interiors from sun and rain. Operable aluminium fins and expanded mesh control light and views, while sliding glass doors allow seamless access to the outdoors. Inside, a neutral palette, vibrant accents, and indoor plants create a tranquil, daylit workspace.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The plan is zoned into three sections: an entrance lobby with the chairman's chambers, a central block of private offices and meeting rooms, and a rear section of open workstations overlooking the city and sports field. Exposed roof trusses and a clerestory skylight define a central circulation spine.Save this picture!Connecting old and new is a glass elevator overlooking the sports field, offering a moment of pause as one transitions between buildings. The terrace of the old office has been reimagined as an interstitial space — partially open, partially sheltered by the new structure — accessible via a sculptural circular staircase.Save this picture!What appears at first as a simple linear volume is, in fact, a layered response to multiple contextual, functional, and climatic demands. The new addition presents a calm, screened façade to the city, serves as a welcoming portal to the campus, and becomes a subtle yet visible edge to the sports field. Through thoughtful spatial negotiation and quiet clarity, the intervention offers the institution a renewed presence while honouring its legacy.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Belagavi, IndiaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office Published on May 13, 2025Cite: "Hover Space – Extension to the KLE Society Head Office / Thirdspace Architecture Studio" 13 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030110/hover-space-extension-to-the-kle-society-head-office-thirdspace-architecture-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream