COTTON RIVER

For Anushri and Rohan’s wedding at A Note of Zen in Ahmedabad, we created Cotton River, a ceremonial landscape made with the materials of Gujarat and in response to its architecture and traditions.

We began with cotton. Familiar across the region, it offered an unusual possibility for a wedding: volume and lightness, with enough presence to work at an architectural scale.

The ceremony lay on an axis between monumental gates and a hand-built temple. We wanted to strengthen that relationship. Across the water, cotton formed a flowing river supported by submerged bamboo. Torn marigold petals drifted on the surface; rose petals and rosewater gathered along its edges.

At the centre, a field of red and saffron formed the ceremonial stage, appearing to hover above the water and its reflection. Taut bands of fabric wrapped the gates. Overhead, toran-like bunting woven from asopalav leaves, palm leaves and grasses brought local craft and botanical materials into the architecture.

For Anushri’s bouquet, we paired red hibiscus with freshly picked cotton stems. Hibiscus opens only briefly, making it a particularly fleeting flower to carry. The bouquet brought the materials of the wider landscape into her hands.

All materials came from the region. We sourced cotton directly from a farmer during harvest, flowers from nearby growers, and foraged foliage locally. Local craftspeople, builders and production partners worked with us to assemble much of the landscape in the water. Conditions on site shaped how we built, calling for decisions and adjustments as the work took form.