Harmony in Chaos

Designed by RBTA (Ricardo Bofill - Taller de Arquitectura), Google Signature III emerges as the central piece of Unitech's Signature compound in Gurgaon, and aspires to become an ecosystem for efficient office space as well as a place of destination


Fact File
Project name: Google Signature III
Location: Gurgaon
Typology: Offices
Built up area: 1 million sqft
Status: Completed 2018

Material Palette
Glazing: Saint Gobain (KT 155 Series Glass)
Canopy cladding: Alu Décor ACP
Lobby flooring & walls: Bottocino Marble
External flooring: Yellow Chroma Granite, Pave Espania Pavers External Building Elevation Bansi Paharpur Sandstone
Lighting: Philips


The scheme consists of two 12-floor towers connected by a two-floor podium. This twin tower typology acts as a symmetrical gateway in this chaotic site, a symbol of harmony and human proportions in an urban jungle. Tower A was leased for 11 years by Google.

Signature III provides high-quality office space: Floor plates are efficient column-free open plan configurations for maximum long-term flexibility, creating a comfortable naturally lit office environment. The central core acts as the key structural spine of the building. It incorporates the latest mechanical technology, providing optimum use of vertical shafts and maximum elevator speed.


The envelope is clad with Bansi Paharpur Sandstone; the lobby has Bottocino Marble, warm wood ceiling, and a seating area with Barcelona chairs. The roof terrace on the first floor can be leased for events and meetings. The landscape is a subtle mix of hard-surfaces and vegetation, grey stones and soft benches, shadow gardens and water features.

Says Ricardo-E-Bofill, Principal Architect, "Office buildings in Gurgaon are recommended to have 40% transparency in the walls. Today we have very high-performance glass such as low emission glass, and glass that does not absorb any heat, so there is no heat gain into the building and ample natural light in the working areas. The remaining 60% of the wall can be in several materials such as in the traditional stone clad structure of Signature III where we managed to have 40mm stone with insulation. The more commonly used ACP aluminum panels are the cheapest and you can see them all over Gurgaon. But they are a big mess in terms of look and feel, plus they bring problems of maintenance and durability. It may be the cheapest way to build a wall with panels that are light and easy to build, but their cost and appearance are more appropriate for an industrial area rather than an urban setting."

"We are using a lot of what we call the glass shadow box, which is a glass in front and a flat box-like structure of aluminium that together make a sandwich panel for wall cladding. This high-performance glass-box has all the required insulation and performs as well as a solid wall of stone. So we have an all-glass wall, 40% of which is transparent to allow light into the interiors and the remaining 60% of the wall can be made of the glass-box, which actually acts and performs like a solid wall. All this of course follows the rules and regulations of the National Building Code."