21/03/2022
PROJECT: MELANGE – BAKESTAURANT, KOCHI 2020
A cafe is defined as a restaurant that serves coffee or tea with light refreshments such as baked goods or snacks. It started as a 90’s French concept where people come together to read, work or socialize over light food and beverages.
Mélange is a small cafe placed in a corner of Kochi, facing a busy business area's major street. The 550-square-foot cafe serves as the building's front façade, complementing a restaurant and its kitchen. The double-height space and full-glass facade facing the south let in plenty of indirect light while providing a clear view of the space from the outside. The aim was to establish a visually open and inviting presence while maintaining privacy of the customers using landscape.
The cafe's design is influenced by tropical modernism, with a minimalist approach to the aesthetics of its interiors. The space is separated into three sections:
Cane basket lamp shades acquired from a local artisan were used to light the main interior space.
The outside area, which is bordered by a strip of landscape, not only brings the customers close to nature but also serves as a privacy screen from the street.
Finally, there's the loft, the third dining space tucked away in a mezzanine floor above that provides a quiet nook of privacy.
The combination of exposed brick walls, metal supports, and the custom wooden & steel furniture in the interiors and the surrounding landscape transports the user to a rustic French cafe.
