Client: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust

Year: 2006–2009

Location: Pondicherry

Site Area: 320m2

Built Up Area: 600m2

Typology: Restaurant

Team: Tushita Gandhi, Marcia Oliviera, Abhiruchi Anand, Noble George, Mona Doctor-Pingel

Structure: Auro Service Consultants

Contractor: Mohan Constructions

Photo Credits: Georgio

Cottage Restaurant was designed and built for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. Located in Pondicherry, the restaurant enjoys a prime location on the street facing the main canal that once divided the French quarter and the Tamil quarter.

The building is a reincarnation of an iconic restaurant – of the same name – that the Ashram has been running since the 1950’s. It caters food (savouries & sweets) primarily for the ashramites, as an alternative to the Ashram Dining Hall. Its seating capacity is approximately 150 customers.

A monolithic exposed concrete wall with a generous angular opening at its centre defines the entrance. A large steel sliding door, painted navy blue, gives a colourful character to the building when closed. The building uses a limited material palette of exposed concrete elements, black unpolished Cuddapah stone, and white plastered walls. The use of air-conditioning is isolated to the space where the sweets and savouries are displayed. The rest of the building is kept open, making use of natural air ventilation.

Yellow & black bamboo with laterite & granite are the main elements in the landscape integrated throughout the building’s three courtyards. The single mature Neem tree on the site was consciously protected and became the starting point for the design, with a courtyard and around it.

Interior Design:. All tables, chairs and display units were designed in keeping with the project’s overall spirit, the climate and, the comfort of the users in mind. All furniture is locally fabricated.

To read more about the project, see article.