Garage

Delhi’s urban villages have evolved from being sleepy hamlets surrounded by British era planned development to becoming the city’s design and entertainment hotspots. Free from the strict municipal regulations that are enforced in rest of the city, increased density and cheap rent attracts young entrepreneurs to set up shop in narrow lanes. Hauz Khaz village, located near the lake that once supplied Delhi its drinking water, represents the extreme end of this evolution. Divested almost completely of its original inhabitants, mostly fashion designers, art galleries and restaurants are to be seen here.

The client, an accomplished yet young chef, was already running a successful restaurant in another part of the village and was keen to set up a restaurant with a garage theme. The new site was located on upper floor, affording great views to the outside, but was burdened with sharing the entrance with a house and a few other restaurants. Keeping with the theme, the interior was designed with raw untreated surfaces - unplastered brick walls, grey epoxy flooring and even the ceiling plaster was removed to reveal the raw concrete roof. The view to the forest was opened up with an edge to edge glass wall that was recessed from the facade, creating shade for the glass and a verandah for outdoor sitting.

To create a distinctive character for the restaurant exterior, entrance was enclosed with a long membrane of curved corrugated metal. This corrugation forms the backdrop to the bar counter from the interior. Recalling vintage garage doors, the main entrance door is reinforced with steel tubes and painted green and is set in a distressed exposed brick frame. An added attraction to the area, Garage, Inc references the old, while catering to the new.

This project was done in collaboration with Archiopteryx Architects.

Location

Hauz khas village,

New Delhi

Client  

Undisclosed

Typology

Hospitality

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area              

1500 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2013