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Loop Design Studio blends modern design with a South Indian material and colour palette to create a warm ambience for Shree Rathnam.
Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj; courtesy Loop Design Studio
The brief
Loop Design Studio’s latest project Shree Rathnam at Panchkula, Haryana, is a restaurant serving south-Indian cuisine. The client brief directed the team to create an ambience which would reflect the region-specific cuisine they were serving. The directions were to create a comfortable dining experience that would have a warm, minimal and vernacular material palette. The site for intervention was an empty 80 feet by 35 feet shell on the first floor of a three-storeyed building facing the main commercial axis of Panchkula.
The design intent
Shree Rathnam design is an ode to the regional and contextual modernism of our times — a coming together of two strikingly different architectural styles in a contiguous blend. The design is an attempt to bridge the gap between South Indian architectural vibrancy and the elegant austerity of minimal modernist interiors. The space is characterised by bands, and layers of different hues and textures that bind the entire space in a singular composition. The warm colour tones and hues are reminiscent of the different shades of natural landscape seen in southern India. “We wanted to break away from the stereotype of creating intricate surfaces to symbolise the region, but rather let the different material textures depict their story,” say Suvrita Bhardwaj and Nikhil Pratap Singh, principal architects, Loop Design Studio.
The spatial configuration
The space has a clean functional layout with a designated juice bar, a private dining section and a kitchen area. The addition of planters help to break the expansive volume into zones that are further highlighted by different lighting aspects and furniture typologies.
The design and material details
The heart of the volume lies in the materiality of its surfaces that attempts to create a contrast in harmony. The singularity and boldness of the space is characterised by the free-flowing Indian marble that makes its way throughout the surfaces of the outlet. With its rich and striking texture, it is the protagonist of the space and covers the entire span of the rectangular volume. The strikingly intense and sculptural Indian marble is symbolic of the rich hues and grandeur of South Indian architecture. Muted wooden scalloping and glazed handmade tiles add a bit of balance to the wall texture. The geometries on the wooden ceiling are an attempt to add a sense of eclecticism to the volume. The avant-garde layout, modern furniture and greens impart a contemporary and sensory undertone to the space.
The highlights
“The hero of our design, the Indian marble, characterises the beautiful strokes of nature and adds to the beauty and splendour of the outlet. Marble is balanced by the warmth and linear geometry of oak wood scalloping and handmade tiles. The wooden ceiling design in the private dining area imparts another dimension to the space and adds huge visual weight to the spatial perspective,” say the architects.
Fact File
Project: Shree Rathnam
Location: Panchkula, Haryana
Area: 2,000 sq ft
Principal architects: Suvrita Bhardwaj and Nikhil Pratap Singh
Design team: Sargam Sethi and Simran Chawla
Construction team: Alpine Interiors
Lighting consultant: Kriglow Lighting
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deepa nairhandmade TilesHaryanaindia design worldLoop Design StudioMarbleModern interiorsOakwoodPanchkulaPurnesh Dev Nikhanjrestaurant designShree RathnamSouth IndiaSouth Indian ArchitectureSouth Indian CuisineVernacularVernacular materialswood
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