Situated at a prime junction in Narhe, Pune this 4800 square feet single floor restaurant nurtures a beach dining experience drawing inspiration from the name itself, ‘Ocean Grill’. Travelling through the rich history of Goan-Portuguese churches with the Shanta Durga Indo-Portuguese temple being the best example and the intricate colonial houses of Southern Goa inspired our vision to not just design a beach shack and be true to the name but add an essence to the place by taking the customer back to the celebrated Portuguese tradition. The Entrance Plaza is a brass inlaid neutral-toned open floor with a cascading slate chipped waterfall tucked in the northeast corner.
Project Name: Ocean Grill
Design Firm: ScaffolDA
Location: Narhe, Pune
Area: 4800 sft
Project Completion: August, 2019
Completion Time: 4 Months
Design Team: Ar Harshavardhan Khurd, Ar Pranjal Kudale
Picture Credits: Chinmay Morgaonkar
A 150 square feet entrance seating consists of an oxidised metal sheet portico taking inspiration from a deserted ship inviting the customer to an avant-garde experience. Surpassing the porch leads one to a 350 square feet double height indoor area garnished by hanging handcrafted metal oars and lit by accent spotlights. The central pillar is draped by thick cotton ropes adding a beach shack flavour. The seamless trencadis ceramic broken tile flooring grouted with floor adhesives and topped with an epoxy coat brings a rustic Portuguese verandas experience to the table. Inverted wooden louvres hide the stilt office space while keeping it well ventilated. Bespoke mixed seating furniture nurtures a lively ambience. A colonial styled glazed folding partition isolates the 500 square feet boat inspired bar counter space from this area. The arched flat plates were achieved through a manual hammer forming process and coated with a two-tone brass finish.
The third section is a 1400 square feet outdoor semi-open artificial beach; the project’s highlight. With a seating capacity of 130 people, this massive space houses an antique asymmetrical column-free gazebo in the northeast corner which serves a double function of a performance area. The traditional black and white Copacabana pattern on smooth finished plaster provides for a striking backdrop for the performer. A sea life inspired stamped concrete seamless flooring helped replicate a near-perfect beach effect mainly due to the two-tone colours of a coquina hardener and a harvest amber release powder respectively. Six handcrafted dyed cotton rope shell patterns are weaved on top of the perforated jaali sheet northern facade keeping the rain at bay without hampering the breeze. Azulejo hand-painted walls, octopus inspired cane and chain assembled chandeliers and hanging brass pendant lights from redundant ships imbibes a truly authentic user experience.
A 550 square feet indoor air-conditioned seating replicates a traditional layman’s house lit by industrial lights in view of the grunge and rustic design language. All walls of the project have been inspired from the Venetian plasters keeping the project rooted to the traditional culture. While leaving the restaurant one can click a selfie with the sailor helmet on!
Overall, in the four-month-long project, we have attempted to create a unique dining experience in some distant coastal region while embracing the local cultural traces that were an integral part of our rich Indian history.
