Located within the National Centre for the Performing Arts along the edge of the Arabian Sea in South Mumbai, Flint is conceived as an immersive spatial response to the elemental act of cooking with fire. Envisioned in collaboration with chefs Rahul Akerkar and Jaideep Mukherjee for the Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality Group, the restaurant explores the sensory and material qualities of charring, grilling, and slow cooking, translating them into a layered architectural design language.

The Design Language Of This Restaurant Explores The Material Qualities Of Food | DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop

Backyard Gatherings as Design Narrative

At its core, the design language draws from the evocative imagery of backyard gatherings, of campfires, open grills, and the quiet intimacy of food prepared over flame. This narrative becomes the foundation for a robust and tactile palette of greys, brick reds, rusted tones, and sooty blacks.

Designers articulate the walls using a continuous application of thin waste bricks. They meticulously compose them to create a deeply textured relief across the restaurant.

This surface anchors the space’s visual identity and evokes time-worn materials exposed to heat and smoke. IPS finishes in charred earthy hues blend into brick surfaces, reinforcing rawness and continuity.

Ceiling as an Integral Surface

The design gives the ceiling, often treated as a secondary surface, equal importance. Finished in grey-painted Anutone board, it introduces subtle textural grain. It also addresses acoustic performance in a bustling dining environment. This layered materiality ensures that the spatial experience remains cohesive, immersive, and sensorially rich from every vantage point.

One of the primary challenges of the site was the limited ingress of natural light. In response, strategic interventions were made to introduce new glass openings, allowing a calibrated amount of daylight to filter into the interiors.

Lighting as Experiential Layer

Rather than competing with this subdued natural light, the artificial lighting design becomes a defining experiential layer. Carefully orchestrated pools of warm illumination are centred around each table, creating intimate zones that recall the glow of a fire. This approach not only enhances the dining experience but also reinforces the overarching narrative of gathering, warmth, and shared moments.

Spatial Balance of Openness and Intimacy

The spatial planning balances openness with intimacy. A long, communal table forms the social heart of the restaurant, encouraging interaction and collective dining. Around it, a series of island tables provide flexibility, while booth seating along the periphery creates quieter, more निजी enclaves within the larger volume.

The Brass Bar

Anchoring the space is a monumental brass bar, whose patinated surface introduces both visual weight and luminosity. When lit, the bar emits a warm, reflective glow—reminiscent of embers—becoming a focal point that ties the entire environment together.

Beyond architecture and planning, Flint extends into a carefully curated design language of objects and installations. Raw mild-steel elements—such as coat hangers and partitions—evoke the immediacy of materials fresh from the furnace.

A series of corten steel plates, treated through experimental chemical processes including copper sulfate and acidic applications, form a striking entry artwork that embodies the unpredictability and transformation inherent in fire. Elsewhere, backlit wax installations embedded with vegetable stamps and imprints of culinary tools create a tactile narrative that bridges food, craft, and memory.

Thoughtful Elements

Even the peripheral elements are thoughtfully integrated. A landscaped entry sequence composed of local plant species offers a gentle transition into the space, while the bread and dessert station continues the material language through perforated partitions and display surfaces.

Collectively, these gestures ensure that every layer of the project—architectural, material, and experiential—remains aligned with its central idea.

Flint ultimately transcends the conventional notion of a restaurant. It becomes a sensorial environment where material, light, and narrative converge—an evocative setting that celebrates the primal act of cooking over fire while fostering warmth, intimacy, and shared human experience.

Fact File

Designed by: DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop

Project Type: Restaurant Interior Design

Project Name: FLINT

Location: NCPA, Mumbai

Project Size: 4000 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Jay Shah

Team Design Credits: Anirudh, Deep Desai, Nitin Mandhan & Kevin Arnold Noronha

Photograph Courtesy: Neelanjana Chitrabanu

Architectural Lighting: The Light Boy Co. Girish Thawani

Firm’s Instagram Link: DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop

For Similar Project >>> This Heritage Restaurant In Trafalgar Square Blends Heritage With Modern Elegance