Esko Lounge
Location: Bangalore, India
Photo credits: Vikram Ponappa
Recognition:
Archidesign Awards 2013
The Esko Lounge and Restaurant on the top floor of a 5 – story structure was the new ‘lounge’ version of the erstwhile Clay Pot restaurant. The requirement was to flesh out the new avatar of the dining space reusing older material. A gradual progression from closed to open was planned taking full advantage of the street frontage, and the mellow north light.
The interior design revolved around the roof form which diverged upwards, creating a forced perspective and a feeling of openness. Two long slivers carved out of the roof, beginning from the enclosed restaurant to the lounge area, housing a series of suspended clay pots were planned. The two long slivers created a spatial continuity between the restaurant and the lounge. The floor and the furniture had also been cleverly designed to merge into each other’s shadows.
The roof also created an external skin – a 14-foot high surface that was broken up into an upper and lower section. The upper section had clear glass which allowed the street side light to stream in. The lower section was kept totally open, with a large canopy keeping the rain out, but letting in the breeze.
