In a world divided by hate, nothing unites people like sports! Proudly identifying as a sports fanatic – one who’s swept away in the energising frenzy of a really good match – has many takers for the title.
Project Name: The Box
Design Firm: Urban Mistrii
Firm Location: New Delhi
Principal Architect : Ritika Rakhiani
Design Team: Vishal Gupta, Manisha Aggarwal, Swarna Joshi
Completion Date: November 2022
Site Area : 8,500 sqft
Built Up Area : 3,500 sqft
Project Location: Morjim, Goa, India
Program / Use / Building Function: Hospitality ( Restaurant, Bar, F&B )
Photography : Avesh Gaur
In an era of digital nomads, where any city in the world can be home, the simplest way to socialise and find common ground with locals is by stepping into a good sports bar. Ritika Rakhani of Urbanmistrii was tasked with designing one such high-energy community restro-bar in the sleepy beachside town of Morjim.
Driving down to Morjim beach in North Goa will reward you with one of the most serene, sun-kissed sights in India. Its azure waters and pristine sands are nesting ground for the Olive Ridley turtle, and a paradise for bird-watchers. But if you want a little more action than what nature provides, you can step right into ‘The Box’.
The sports-fanatic owner of an existing 20-room property in Goa reached out to Urbanmistrii to craft out a unique spatial experience for a restro-bar. As a designer experienced in curating hospitality experiences in Morjim, Ritika came highly recommended.
Her team was tasked with the end-to-end solution for this project – the first sports bar in Goa! They began by deriving a form that would be apt for such a fun, high-energy space. The user experience had to begin from the first glance at this project! A bunch of forms were brainstormed until they hit upon a box tilted on its edge, free-wheeling and about to topple. This monumental dynamic form would be sure to pique the curiosity of the droves of people passing by. Clad in glass with metal edges painted black, this industrial box also speaks the design language of the contemporary resort it is a part of.
An outdoor patio seating in local Kota stone was planned for making the most of the salubrious Goan weather. Who wouldn’t enjoy chilled beers on breezy summer evenings, enveloped in lush greenery? Step into the toppling box and your eyes will immediately take in the massive 21’ high volume. A closer look at the ceiling will show shuttlecocks suspended from the roof, a quirky chandelier to balance the sophistication that any double-heighted space brings. At your eye-level, comfortable leather sofas and roomy seats invite you to sink into them. Sports neon signage and a dart-board on a cement-finished wall float beneath the emblems of football teams and boxing gloves. An island bar divides the massive 52 feet long space into cosier sub-units.
Grab a drink at the island bar and step across to the billiard table. Nestled amongst indoor plants and a rustic brick interior, this zone is the quieter, think-strategize-play portion of the restro-bar. One end has the massive flatscreen television to tune into the latest adrenaline-rush of a match. With the owner’s private collection of football club emblems on these rustic brick walls, you’ll always be immersed in the world of sports. The wall leading to the washrooms has a basketball net for you to shoot your shot.
The mature shades of leather-brown, metal-black and cement-grey allow the lively reds to add an energising pop throughout the restro-bar. Sound panelling aesthetically hung from the exposed rafters in this industrial space ensures that sports-fanatics can get swept away in the adrenaline-rush of a really good match, without affecting the calm of Morjim hamlet.
A year into operations, ‘The Box’ has become a vibrant landmark in Morjim, a true game changer in the hospitality industry of Goa.
