Peek into the Glasshouse

A luxurious and welcoming social setting is what piqued our aesthetic senses and drew us to delve into the design elements that comprise the spanking new The Glasshouse. We were surprised to find out that the swish eatery that's been the talk of the town with its Manhattan-esque feel has been designed keeping vastu in mind.

Architect Ashish Kambli of Tao, from Mumbai has designed the space, with inputs from the young owners Siddharth Poojari, Rohinton Mottahed and Rajesh Sachdev.

Enter into the pre-dining area, before you sit down to dine or for a coffee after you've finished your dinner, as the eatery is divided into different zones -deli, bar, lounge, fine dining, private room and the upper deck, freely flowing into each other seamlessly.

Rohinton explains, “The roof has been designed by an architect from London. A large file has been printed on massive canvas, in sync with the maple leaves and other flora around here, which is very green. They are lit with LEDs with mood lighting in the evenings that keep changing and gets dimmer or brighter as the hours pass by. We have used glass, concrete, chrome and iron to give it a chic and contemporary look."

Also what stands out is a variety of fresh trees and plants all around the restaurant. Even the entrance wall is full of potted plants. All the walls are made of glass; after all, it is The Glasshouse. Keeping with the theme of transparency, even the chairs and tables are made with toughened acrylic glass which gives the space an open and spacious feel. Most of the furniture is weather proof, and the concrete gives a faux wood effect.

Rohinton admits, “Since most of the place is open, we decided to keep even the furnishings rain proof, that are used internationally on the pool decks. We have intentionally kept everything very minimalistic. Also, in continuity with the theme, everything has a transparent look, so you can see through, including the cappuccino maker, the cake boxes in the deli and the walls. Besides, there are many international elements around. If you keenly observe, there are paintings from Sri Lanka, artifacts like the yogi frogs, chicken, fishes, flying birds, pigeons and fishes, flying birds, pigeons and swines are from Bali and Sri Lanka. We have travelled across and sourced crockery also. The lamp shades inside the eatery and in the washrooms are shaped in the form of an A, in lines with our logo."

The Glasshouse gives a rustic look gives a rustic look on a rainy day, and the mood changes into a swish space at dawn.