Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Sridhar Vembu has compared Zoho’s upcoming Chennai campus to classic Europe saying it will be open not only for employees but also for the public. In a series of posts on X, previously Twitter, the co-founder and chief scientist at Zoho, took onlookers on a visual tour of the sprawling facility highlighting its natural ambience replete with urban villages and forest. The campus is currently in construction and is expected to open sometime in another six months. Once it is open for business, the facility will also be available for public visits on the weekend.
advertisement
Vignesh, an X user who goes by the username @vignesh_1718, posted an image of Zoho’s headquarters campus on X, writing: “Can’t believe this is in Chennai! We need more buildings like this.” Sridhar Vembu replied to the post, saying the campus is not yet complete: “Not completely finished. Will take another 6 months and then it will look really good. We plan to open the campus on weekends to the public.”
A campus built differently
The Zoho campus at Estancia IT Park stands out for more than its grand size. Vembu has described it in his own words: the campus has “beautiful buildings that pay homage to the best ‘urban villages’ of classical Europe,” along with a small lake and “a 5-acre dense forest with native species of trees.” The forest is being expanded further.
Vembu added that the campus is “full of streets that are alive with pedestrians and bicycles and people enjoying a cup of filter coffee or chai or coconut water in the street-side cafe, and absolutely no cars.” According to him, “That is the urbanism we want to promote.” The design deliberately keeps cars out and creates a walkable, pleasant environment rather than a typical office park.
Most large corporate and IT campuses in India keep strict access controls. Security rules and the special status of many of these sites mean the general public rarely gets inside. Zoho’s plan to open its main Chennai campus on weekends is therefore unusual. If it goes ahead as stated, people will be able to walk through the grounds, see the architecture, and enjoy the open spaces once the work is finished.
Exact details are still to come. There is no official word yet on entry rules, timings, restricted areas, or how the visits will be managed. For now, the announcement rests on Vembu’s public reply. Closer to completion, more information is likely to follow.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
