The Elbow Room – treat for the taste buds and the senses
Text: Ar. Ahmed Asad Zuberi
Photography: Ar. Ahmed Asad Zuberi & Farah Mahbub
Project: The Elbow Room (Restaurant)
Client: Shahzad and Tanya
Architects: Design Options
Project Team: Ar. Moyena Niazi
Location: I. I Chundrigar Road
Area: 4000 sqft
Commission: January 2007
Completion/ opening: July 2007
I.I Chundrigar is the most influential business district in Karachi, in all of Pakistan in fact. It is the work place of the movers and shakers in banking, investments, shipping and all related businesses. With so much money roaming the streets one would expect the public facilities for this place would be as attractive as Wall Street. If any have visited this place, they are probably familiar with the anticlimax, the urban nightmare that ensues: traffic congestion, parking issues, extremely limited pedestrian spaces. Not even a whisper of a tree or plaza.
Another issue that is often considered of lesser importance, but is problematic all the same is the question of quality dinning. The local khoka, even though might work for many; but the average yuppie would die before taking a client to lunch there. So imagine the ordeal of professionals who in an hour’s time have to drive out of that congestion, to a decent restaurant, order eat and come back, that’s no mean feat. This was always the norm of anyone who craved fine dinning for lunch, until one enterprising couple saw opportunity in this need. And thus was founded the adequately named Elbow room café in this congested area of I.I Chundrigar.
The place they found was a small warehouse tucked into a tributary lane right next to the old BCCI building. The couple approached Architect Moyena Niazi of Design Options, a young collaborative firm whose hands-on approach to their projects and attention to detailing has earned them considerable repute.
The project can be described as an adaptive reuse project. Reuse projects are always tricky to deal with; questions of context and history are underlying. Decisions of using of old versus new elements are paramount. And quite frankly the right decision becomes apparent half way through the project.
Moyena took the stance that as the warehouse was in a modernist/art nouveau building the restaurant would be interesting if it were reminiscent of old Karachi. This is a commendable stance in a time where every new restaurant is trying to be the Asian minimal and the heritage buildings are being destroyed for the newer and shinier: Dubai syndrome…
There is an entire theme that follows through the restaurant from the selection of doors, grills, seats, handles, sofas, wall surfacing, lights even the fans. This is the essence of interior design accurate selection of element that will define the experience of space: ‘creating an ambiance’ as they say.
It wasn’t the easiest of jobs as Moyena describes, the warehouse had no elevation as one can expect, and the wood work dilapidated, it was a scavenger hunt for all things of the old Karachi era, doors windows, cast iron grills and the list goes on.
When one approaches the restaurant the most commendable thing seen is that the restaurant takes an active interest to better the atmosphere of the street as well: the pavement if renewed, shades drawn over to protect even the pedestrians from the harsh sun, wonderful cast iron lamp posts invigorate the street and stand tall to announce the presence of a new restaurant. Urban Responsibility to one’s store front is important, if the banks and large stores were held responsible to upgrade the pedestrian ways the face of this crucial market of urban elevation could change.
The façade has been changed from a dead masonry wall to painted doors and windows of a bygone era. Entering the restaurant, one comes into a double height space, which is a visual treat for most office goers living working in 9ft dungeons. The lighting is subtle and the earthy tones of the restaurant sink in: brick work, rough plasters, and deep colored wood. The light fittings hanging low from the double height ceiling, the fans painted a dark brown to look an age. The flooring is a treat in its own: cement tiles with the yesteryear patterns used to define major areas in the restaurant. And thank God not over used: it is the restraint in design that defines the designer; it’s like salt in a meal: just the right amount makes it delectable less or more shoves it into averages.
Guests are greeted immediately by the maitre de at the front desk which is smartly tucked under an ornate stair. The double height hall is the main dinning area bounded by a low height brick wall. The wall has a wood copping which provides as a shelf for assorted trinkets. There are two rows of tables and fixed benches against the elevation wall. If you have frequented a khoka or two you will realize these tables and chairs are none other than those khoka tables from the local khan bhai’s place of business, ofcourse the major difference is the table cloth.
There are two stairs that lead up to a loft sub level. One is right next to the front desk, is a delicate wood stair which was from the original warehouse, its wood was refaced and cast iron grills were added to construct an ornate balustrade. This leads to the coffee room, a small area with, bamboo sofas and relaxed seating. The coffee room also sports a bar that serves a variety of seasonal fruit cocktails. It becomes an ideal location for an after hours rendezvous or a causal business meeting.
The other stair is a solid bulky masonry stair leading up to a loft type dinning area which caters to the increased lunch crowd during luncheon hours. The loft area of the coffee room and extended dinning are visually linked by windows that allow natural light from the coffee room to filter in, this helps to visually lighten the space. Design does not seem to end in this café, in the bathrooms mirrors are made of cast iron work jaali, the towel hangers are jute tied wood frames.
What enthralls me about this interior is that the every element seems to know its place in the holistic composition; it takes up the concept of synergy that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Photography: Ar. Ahmed Asad Zuberi & Farah Mahbub
Project: The Elbow Room (Restaurant)
Client: Shahzad and Tanya
Architects: Design Options
Project Team: Ar. Moyena Niazi
Location: I. I Chundrigar Road
Area: 4000 sqft
Commission: January 2007
Completion/ opening: July 2007
I.I Chundrigar is the most influential business district in Karachi, in all of Pakistan in fact. It is the work place of the movers and shakers in banking, investments, shipping and all related businesses. With so much money roaming the streets one would expect the public facilities for this place would be as attractive as Wall Street. If any have visited this place, they are probably familiar with the anticlimax, the urban nightmare that ensues: traffic congestion, parking issues, extremely limited pedestrian spaces. Not even a whisper of a tree or plaza.
Another issue that is often considered of lesser importance, but is problematic all the same is the question of quality dinning. The local khoka, even though might work for many; but the average yuppie would die before taking a client to lunch there. So imagine the ordeal of professionals who in an hour’s time have to drive out of that congestion, to a decent restaurant, order eat and come back, that’s no mean feat. This was always the norm of anyone who craved fine dinning for lunch, until one enterprising couple saw opportunity in this need. And thus was founded the adequately named Elbow room café in this congested area of I.I Chundrigar.
The place they found was a small warehouse tucked into a tributary lane right next to the old BCCI building. The couple approached Architect Moyena Niazi of Design Options, a young collaborative firm whose hands-on approach to their projects and attention to detailing has earned them considerable repute.
The project can be described as an adaptive reuse project. Reuse projects are always tricky to deal with; questions of context and history are underlying. Decisions of using of old versus new elements are paramount. And quite frankly the right decision becomes apparent half way through the project.
Moyena took the stance that as the warehouse was in a modernist/art nouveau building the restaurant would be interesting if it were reminiscent of old Karachi. This is a commendable stance in a time where every new restaurant is trying to be the Asian minimal and the heritage buildings are being destroyed for the newer and shinier: Dubai syndrome…
There is an entire theme that follows through the restaurant from the selection of doors, grills, seats, handles, sofas, wall surfacing, lights even the fans. This is the essence of interior design accurate selection of element that will define the experience of space: ‘creating an ambiance’ as they say.
It wasn’t the easiest of jobs as Moyena describes, the warehouse had no elevation as one can expect, and the wood work dilapidated, it was a scavenger hunt for all things of the old Karachi era, doors windows, cast iron grills and the list goes on.
When one approaches the restaurant the most commendable thing seen is that the restaurant takes an active interest to better the atmosphere of the street as well: the pavement if renewed, shades drawn over to protect even the pedestrians from the harsh sun, wonderful cast iron lamp posts invigorate the street and stand tall to announce the presence of a new restaurant. Urban Responsibility to one’s store front is important, if the banks and large stores were held responsible to upgrade the pedestrian ways the face of this crucial market of urban elevation could change.
The façade has been changed from a dead masonry wall to painted doors and windows of a bygone era. Entering the restaurant, one comes into a double height space, which is a visual treat for most office goers living working in 9ft dungeons. The lighting is subtle and the earthy tones of the restaurant sink in: brick work, rough plasters, and deep colored wood. The light fittings hanging low from the double height ceiling, the fans painted a dark brown to look an age. The flooring is a treat in its own: cement tiles with the yesteryear patterns used to define major areas in the restaurant. And thank God not over used: it is the restraint in design that defines the designer; it’s like salt in a meal: just the right amount makes it delectable less or more shoves it into averages.
Guests are greeted immediately by the maitre de at the front desk which is smartly tucked under an ornate stair. The double height hall is the main dinning area bounded by a low height brick wall. The wall has a wood copping which provides as a shelf for assorted trinkets. There are two rows of tables and fixed benches against the elevation wall. If you have frequented a khoka or two you will realize these tables and chairs are none other than those khoka tables from the local khan bhai’s place of business, ofcourse the major difference is the table cloth.
There are two stairs that lead up to a loft sub level. One is right next to the front desk, is a delicate wood stair which was from the original warehouse, its wood was refaced and cast iron grills were added to construct an ornate balustrade. This leads to the coffee room, a small area with, bamboo sofas and relaxed seating. The coffee room also sports a bar that serves a variety of seasonal fruit cocktails. It becomes an ideal location for an after hours rendezvous or a causal business meeting.
The other stair is a solid bulky masonry stair leading up to a loft type dinning area which caters to the increased lunch crowd during luncheon hours. The loft area of the coffee room and extended dinning are visually linked by windows that allow natural light from the coffee room to filter in, this helps to visually lighten the space. Design does not seem to end in this café, in the bathrooms mirrors are made of cast iron work jaali, the towel hangers are jute tied wood frames.
What enthralls me about this interior is that the every element seems to know its place in the holistic composition; it takes up the concept of synergy that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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