M-Siri Convention Hall

A young, ambitious businessman from a small village near Bengaluru walked into the Wright Inspires office and announced: "I want to build a chowltry" — chowltry being the Kannada word for a convention hall, a space where weddings, receptions and other large gatherings are held.

Our Principal Architect, Ar. Prathima Seethur — also young and ambitious at the time — asked him calmly what he did for a living. "I have a crusher business," he replied, "we turn boulders into sand."

"So, what do you know about running chowltries?" she asked. "Nothing really," he said firmly, "but I want to build one." "And why is that?" "I have been associated as a 'crusher businessman', and although it has gotten me this far, it isn't a term I like. A chowltry is a happy place — one where memories are made and cherished forever. I'd like to change my brand image; I'd find it more to my liking to be known as a chowltry businessman."

And so the ambitious businessman placed his trust in Ar. Seethur, who took on the project by placing her trust in her craft and her team. The result: a magnificent 20,000 sq ft convention hall at the edge of the Mysore Expressway — a structure that would amaze every onlooker, excite every passerby, and go on to win numerous national awards for its innovative and eco-friendly design.

Just 18 months later, when M-Siri Celebrations Venue was inaugurated by Seethur's Guru, Ar. Jaisim Krishna Rao — with a proud 'Chowltry businessman', eyes gleaming, standing beside her — she realised she had moved from the business of shaping buildings to the business of shaping people's lives.

The result is an elegant, well-crafted and environment-friendly venue whose versatile design serves multifaceted gathering needs — weddings, corporate and professional gatherings, seminars and conferences, concerts and performances, product launches, and more.

As times change, social gathering and interaction spaces are being redefined to keep up with shifting societal needs. In our traditional roots, temples were the primary places of social gathering — designed with large galleries for cultural performance, market corridors and social interaction. Drawing on that legacy, we responded to the present generation's aspirations for congregational spaces with inspiration from temple architecture. The outcome is a bridge between traditional aspects and futuristic expressions.