Screen 504 is a 21-storey residential tower in Udaipur, Rajasthan, with 78 four-bedroom apartments over 20,000 square meters. The design features cross-ventilation, movable jaali screens for passive cooling, and energy-efficient high-performance glazing and fly ash bricks. Built with reinforced concrete and steel, the tower ensures stability. Sustainable features include rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and solar panels. Amenities include a gym, multi-purpose hall, rooftop gardens, and an infinity pool. The project incorporates local materials and craftsmanship, supporting regional heritage and the local economy.
Screen 504 is a 21-storey residential tower located in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Situated on a 3,690-square-meter site, the project comprises of 78 four-bedroom apartments within a total built-up area of 20,000 square meters. It reinterprets elements of vernacular architecture of the region, particularly the use of screens called “jaalis”.
The structure is designed contextual to the region, taking cues from the traditional architecture of Udaipur, from the 16th & 17th century, where projected screened balcony spaces helped combat the excessive heat of the summers while also maintaining privacy. Each floor accommodates four apartments arranged in quadrants, enabling every unit to face two adjacent facades for optimal ventilation and scenic views of the surrounding Aravalli hills.
Each apartment features five balconies: one attached to the living room and one to each of the four bedrooms. These vary between open and screened decks, providing flexible indoor-outdoor transitions. One balcony per unit is a 20-foot-high double-height deck, while others are single-height. Alternating balconies feature a screen allowing residents to regulate their exposure to light, air, and privacy based on seasonal conditions. These lightweight, movable screens transform the balconies into dynamic thresholds, simultaneously enhancing thermal comfort and visual rhythm. This passive shading strategy reduces solar heat gain making the building responsive to the region’s extreme temperatures, which often reach up to 48°C in summers.
The project’s massing and layout were shaped by urban regulations, which permitted a maximum building height of 70 meters and required 14-meter open setbacks on all sides. This led to a compact footprint of 36 by 30 meters. Within these constraints, the apartments are planned with minimal internal circulation and all habitable spaces oriented toward the exterior, maximizing daylight and cross-ventilation.
Community spaces, including a gym, games room, and multi-purpose hall, are located on the ground floor and the rooftop terrace features a shaded garden spaces and an infinity swimming pool overlooking the panoramic mountain range. Parking is accommodated in a single-level basement, freeing up the ground plane for a temple, shared amenities and gardens.
Environmental responsiveness extends to water management and material choice. Rainwater from balconies and terraces is collected via integrated drainage systems and stored in a harvesting tank. Greywater is treated and reused for landscape irrigation. All internal partition walls are constructed using fly ash bricks, a by-product of thermal power plants that offers lower embodied energy and improved insulation. Locally sourced sandstone is used for site perimeter walls and landscape elements, providing thermal mass and establishing visual continuity with Udaipur’s historic fabric. The construction workforce was entirely sourced from the surrounding region, supporting local economies and traditional craftsmanship.
While Screen 504 is a modern high-rise, it is deeply rooted to its city’s architecture. Its design aligns with the principles of critical regionalism, combining global construction techniques with site-specific adaptations. The building also reflects vernacular modernism by creating hybrid spatial experiences balancing openness and protection, privacy and community, tradition and innovation.
Screen 504 offers an alternative to the generic high-rise typologies proliferating across India’s tier-2 cities. It proposes a replicable model for urban housing that is environmentally sustainable, culturally embedded, and spatially rich. By drawing on centuries-old wisdom and reimagining it for modern needs, the building demonstrates how Indian architecture can evolve without losing its identity. In doing so, Screen 504 sets a precedent for future residential developments in regions with similar climatic and cultural contexts.
