The Elgin Cafe restaurant and bar in Kanboh, India is a culmination of a day bistro with a hip bar vibe by night. Leaning on their maximalist side, Studio RENESA created a clean, soft space with an inviting color palette. The idea was to create an atmosphere and feel of the outdoors, where one would find oneself surrounded by greenery, natural wood, food spots and conversations. They sought to engage in a design that would create an international hospitality experience, consequently appealing to the social media savvy clientele that enjoys cafe culture.
The architects began by understanding the functional demands coupled with their modern and refreshing interpretation defined by design, materiality and brand. Once inside, customers are invited to engage with the play of materials and the spaces they form in the cafe. One part forms the cafe area which has more of a day dining aesthetic while separating the private dining room through sliding folding shutters.
Layers and design features encourage customers to explore the space. A small entrance leads to the winery with wine bottles integrated into shelving alongside the long fluted bar. Amidst the wine bar, RENESA decided to insert a community table clad in greenstone and high chairs.
Approaching the design through locally sourced materials, the entire space reflects Udaipur green stone with fluted members. One can spot nuances of Madagascar green and pale green with contrasting salmon color seating that adds a not-so-subtle quirk to the scheme.
The furniture and pendant lights were coordinated to reflect natural cane and fabric with dull gold accents in the form of traditional switchboards and wall lights. The ceiling forms the rest of the elemental nature of the restaurant through mouldings repeated in the entire span of the space. Maintaining the monochrome interior ensured the integrity of the space and reduced visual noise without shifting any highlighted details.
The theme, aesthetically curated with dark green and cane work, accentuated with golden details and a concealed wine bar, is not only functionally designed, but it becomes also a welcome card to the rest of the space.
Design and info © Studio RENESA
Images © Niveditaa Gupta
