In the city of Bangalore, we were presented with a modest, modern 40-year-old concrete structure nestled under the shade of a large rain tree. In typical urban plot typology, the building was fenced on both sides by adjacent buildings, leaving only the street in front and the sky above, free to grow into — a space ideal for a glass roof design. The possibility of a building planned around split levels presented itself out of this impending verticality.
Editor’s Note: “Within this reimagined structure, space breathes afresh with vibrant colors that spill on, casting a lively glow to the street. The limits of architecture and urbanism blur, offering a moment of pause to the energetic rhythm of the city. Here, time is measured not by the clock but by the changing shades of daylight.” ~ Anusha Sridhar
A Glass Roof Design Brings Light And Openness To A 40-year-old Structure | Cochin Creative Collective
The expression of verticality took the form of a striking glass roof mounted on the building, serving as an ode to the rain tree outside. As a result, it often mimicked the soft, dappled light filtering through the tree canopy. Additionally, the operation of enshrining the roof added much-needed floor area for dining purposes. However, the building became commercially viable and justified the premium real estate value of a plot in urban Bangalore.
The vertical column structurally anchored the roof to the ground. Additionally, it linked the community tables at each level while serving as an aesthetic element. The building now extended upwards to the sky and towards the street in front through strategic additions. As a result, it maximized space and made the most of the site area.
A modified threshold brings the street into the building, doubling up as a vegetated buffer and coffee counter, creating an activated front yard. The balcony railings on the first floor transform into a high table, presenting another vantage point to the street. Thematically similar to the first version of Just Loaf, we invoke the simplistic clarity of served and servant spaces. To maintain this clarity, we segregate the two identically on all floors. The linking of the community tables is further emphasised by a whimsical use of mirrored surfaces. As a result, the space doubles up, creating an illusion of a continuing volume.
The pillar also reflects the playful and kitschy nature of the design and becomes an ever changing, ambient lighting element, bathing the interiors in bursts of pop colour. Once again, the pillar affords greater design freedom for customers. Moreover, it effortlessly transforms from standard everyday lighting to festive, quirky versions on occasions like Halloween or Holi.
The choice of colours seem to reminisce the vibrant, quintessential pub culture of Bangalore, while the black and white chequered flooring brings American diners to mind. Within the constraints of a confined space, the material palette manages to expand and enhance the volume within, often deluding the customers into experiencing a deceptively spacious room.
The continuity of the same materials on the exterior and the intelligent use of glass creates a seamless linkage of spaces inside and outside. Punctures in the floor slab dramatically interlink the vertical volumes, actively articulating the idea of an ever-unfolding community table.
Natural light brightens the lower levels, which would otherwise remain muted and dimly lit. Even at the lowest level, the puncture offers customers a rare glimpse of the overhead sky, allowing them to observe the passage of time throughout the day.
For an unadorned space, shifting shadows and waning daylight become ornaments, a performative spatial play. Like an impressionist painting, the foliage of the rain tree now becomes a permanent exhibit on the glass roof. Recurring elements from projects past and present reappear in the canvas of the cafe, a graphical representation of decontextualized objects that find new meaning in the space.
Fact File
Designed by: Cochin Creative Collective
Project Type: Restaurant/Bar/Cafe
Project Name: Diner Just Loaf Bangalore
Location: Bangalore
Year Built: 2024
Project Size: 2890 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Madhushitha CA & Lijo John Mathew
Design Team: Gopika Ramesh
Photograph Courtesy: Syam Sreesylam & Naresh Andnayan
General Constructing: F2F Consultants
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Website Link: Cochin Creative Collective
Firm’s Instagram Link: Cochin Creative Collective
For Similar Project >>> Restaurant Resembling A Conservatory
A 6,500-square-foot house in a peaceful Hyderabad neighbourhood tells a story through arches in interior design, light, shadow, texture, and time rather than words. Meghana Nimmagadda founded the award-winning boutique design studio Designtales, which is responsible for this most recent residential project. Designtales is well-known for its intensely individualised approach to interior design. They create […]
A 3-bedroom apartment with beige interiors hosts a Maharashtrian couple and their two daughters as its residents. The home’s main boast is its huge, full-height windows that let in ample sunlight – a fact which later became a key guiding point in designing the interior space. With Beige Interiors, This Apartment Unfolds Comfort | Agneya […]
The project with wooden interior represents more than just interior design; it was about creating an emotional bridge between two worlds. Kerala’s rich architectural heritage, with its emphasis on natural materials, intricate wooden craftsmanship, and connection to nature, needed to be thoughtfully translated into a modern urban context without losing its authentic character. Gandhi understood […]
Nestled within one of Chennai’s most sought-after and affluent neighbourhoods, The Chic Sanctuary is a quiet luxury style 2025 sq. ft. apartment that stands as a serene and stylish oasis amidst the vibrant energy of the city. Designed with a strong sense of modern sophistication and understated luxury, this home masterfully balances aesthetics with functionality, […]
In a city that rarely sleeps, this house finds calm with neutral interiors. Nestled in the buzzing heart of Mulund, Mumbai, lies a serene sanctuary where design speaks in hushed tones and emotions find form in monochrome whispers. “Whispers of White”, a residential project by Disha Maniyar, principal designer of The Next Step Interiors, is […]
In a city constantly balancing between the fast-paced and the familiar, this serene apartment for Gurjar family in Mulund unfolds like a quiet retreat. Titled The Woven Story, this 4BHK apartment was envisioned as a coming together of different individualities, tastes, and styles, an interior narrative that acknowledges contrast yet seeks cohesion. The brief was […]
The Jade House is a celebration of green interiors through colour, texture, and thoughtful functionality. A home where every design element has been carefully curated to reflect the personality of its residents while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic. Named after the precious jade stone, the home takes inspiration from its lush green tones, which appear gracefully […]
Tucked away in a bustling Bangalore neighbourhood, Anubhav is more than just a home—it’s a feeling, an experience. Designed for a young couple from Assam with a modern eye and a deep love for the arts, this 1500 sq. ft. three-bedroom apartment captures the essence of boho interior design through farmhouse chic living with a […]
When a client from Mumbai’s eastern suburbs—a quiet father-son duo, one of whom is a budding musician—approached us to design their home, it set the stage for a poetic confluence of two creative disciplines: architecture and music. It’s always a rare pleasure when design engages in dialogue with another form of cultural expression, and in […]
When one imagines a home inspired by South Indian style, the mind conjures an air of vernacular warmth—wooden tones, saturated hues, and the scent of sandalwood mingling with earthy nuances. ‘Vasudhalayah’ brings these images to life, transforming them into a 5000 sq ft abode in Bengaluru, where Mediterranean design sensibilities subtly echo through the fusion […]