Location: Bengaluru, India
Photography Credits: Niveditaa Gupta
A large influx of people ushers in a peculiar chaotic development within a city, in its breadth and its depth. The bustling city, thus, slowly starts a metamorphosis into a heady mix of cultural and culinary heritage. This changing identity calls for strategic planning and design to smoothen this transition in a modern, innovative and futuristic yet sustainable fashion.
Located close to the IT hub in the growingly congested city of Bangalore, Northern Central provides a sense of respite and getaway with its warm, cosy and natural atmosphere. The property being situated overlooking a lake, the design is inspired by the natural context and takes an inside-outside approach to create free flowing open spaces.
Catering to the highly dynamic and progressive youth of the dominant IT crowd within the city, the restaurant aims at taking people on a culinary journey of Northern India. The menu being an extensive mix of traditional regional dishes typical to different states from the North, Northern Central is where the entire range of zonal flavours and culinary experience comes together. The space nimbly translates this gastronomic journey into a young, vibrant and relaxed retro-chic ambience.
The desire to create a fresh, light and airy restaurant space that blurs the boundaries between the indoor and the outdoor led to the conception of a breathing spine in the form of a living, green wall with tropical plants that connects the entrance to the patio in the rear. This creates a lush green breathing space amidst the otherwise monotonous mass of built spaces acting like the perfect breakout and a temporary hideaway zone from the ever moving and busy life within the IT industry.
Designed to imitate a train journey through vast expanses of lush greenery, the hues of greens and browns used in the interiors recreate the soothing and engaging nostalgia of dining on the train with friends and family. Contoured around the main theme of the restaurant, ‘a journey’, the relaxed spatial character is further enhanced with bold, distinctive scintillating elements transposed into installations and decorations. This idea is translated beautifully into the material palette with the wooden flooring breaking out and transitioning into chic patterned tiles. This play of wood and patterned tiles along with the stone, coloured glass and retro signage, brought together under the white tensile roof structure, creates an effortless and breezy yet controlled environment.
Aimed at creating an affable and calm atmosphere, Northern Central is a welcoming space for anyone wanting to catch a break and unwind from the usual hustle bustle of the city.