Text description provided by the architects. The latest product of RENESA ARCHITECTURE DESIGN INTERIORS STUDIO, The Elgin Cafe restaurant and bar is a culmination of a day bistro with a hip bar vibe by night. Leaning on our maximalist side, we created a clean, soft space with an inviting colour palette. The idea was to create an atmosphere and feel of the outdoors, where you would find yourself surrounded by greenery, natural wood, food spots, and conversations. We 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.
We began by understanding the functional demands coupled with our 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, we decided to provide 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. You can spot nuances of Madagascar green and pale green with contrasting salmon colour seating that adds a not-so-subtle quirk to our 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 becomes also a welcome card to the rest of the space.
