“We need to hold on to that wall”… these were our first thoughts as soon as we saw the rather obscure looking stable. Nestled far back into an open lot of land, not too far from the airport in Pune, the 80 odd year old building looked fatigued in its current avatar. The open spaces around was a dump, completely oblivious of how it could complement the majestic old building.
Our first job was to fix the perimeter around the stable and get the paint off of the stone wall. We needed to develop a program for the landscape as the brief strongly outlined the use of the outdoors as the main service area.
The strategy for the bar was simple, bring down the existing mezzanine, raise the existing roof and have a seamless connection into the outdoor service area.
The old wooden rafters were removed and used as deck wood. The walls were strengthened as per the recommendation of the structural consultant and a new roof profile was fabricated. The new profile created a sense of space, light and volume within and a provision of a deck overlooking the outdoor bar.
The concept was to recreate a old Bangalore cantonment bungalow that was re-purposed as a bar. The design takes the local weather into cognizance. Seating in the outdoor areas are designed cleverly in clusters at different levels that afford unhindered view of the outdoor bar and the stage.
Rock from the building excavation has been used in the design of the boundary walls in interesting patterns. Exposed bricks in organic patterns make for interesting elements in the outdoor service areas.
The design is intended to create a meeting place of like minded people of Pune to enjoy a meal and a drink or listen to some well curated music or witness a performance of a band or a stand-up comedian.
