A Pub with confounding glow – Kolkata based pub in Mumbai is made iridescent with hand blown glass spheres
Designed by London-based design firm Project Orange, Someplace Else (SPE) Mumbai, an outlet of iconic Kolkata based british style pub is a riot of alluring hues and textures.
The Mumbai flagship of the celebrated Kolkata-based bar and live performance space near BKC has astonishingly transformed interiors as per the brief given to design team by Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd, who wanted a spectacle to tempt the senses and final product indeed feels like a fantastical glowing grotto in the midst of Mumbai’s bustling new entertainment district.
The design draws inspiration from the hidden marine life that is often visible at low tide along Mumbai’s coastline. The entrance lobby is adorned with colourful hand-carved discs giving the illusion of life, vintage vinyl records suggest the musical heritage of the place.
Firstly opened in 1994 at The Park Hotel in Kolkata, Someplace Else is a renowned pub and performance space designed on the lines of a British pub with warm woodwork, rustic brick walls, leather armchairs and stained-glass ceiling but Mumbai outlet is scintillatingly textural which glows and pulses with energy.
According to James Soane, director at Project Orange, the aim was to take people on a poetic journey of the senses,” explains the design firm that worked on putting together SPE Mumbai to AD India.
An extraordinary and edgy bar features numerous hand-blown glass spheres jewel tones of amethyst, ruby and sapphire all manufactured by local artisans.
Another remarkable feature at SPE is the ceiling. The woven dome shapes create an exotic canopy while tiny spotlights filtering through the bamboo pendant lights glitter like stars in the moonlight. A raised wooden deck forms the stage, which is the focal point of SPE. Local yarn and fabric have been used to drape the side walls all the way up to the ceiling, whereas technicoloured timber marks the backdrop for live music performances.
A plush velvet booth is established out for guests who command privilege. Furniture pieces chosen for their perfect scale and mix of elegance and quirk sit on brightly coloured rugs.
The utterly transformed interiors are a testament to the power of combining bespoke design with local crafts backed by professional’s vision and unremitting enthusiasm.
Images by Architectural Digest
