Tea Villa Café, Mumbai

Design Firm: ColabCompany
Principal Architects: Hiren Ganatra & Saloni Ganatra
Location: Mumbai, India
Project Typology: F&B
Photographer: Maharshi Patel

Tea Villa Cafe, Kandivali is the synthesis of a whimsical venue embellished with custom details and the look & feel of a space that leaves its guests transported to the prismatic streets of Europe that are buzzing with activity.

With a client requirement for an open layout, the venue is a spread of 6,000 sq. ft outdoors & 1,500 sq. ft indoors. The site’s frontage was one of the defining characteristics of the space that needed to be articulately designed in order to set the ambience for the venue.

The outdoor was emphasized upon with the creation of an ensemble of dummy elevations that replicates a classic European street in it’s vivacious & layered character. Inclusions of materials, colours, lighting components & landscaping in accordance with the design concept have helped curate the realistic design of the 15 ft faux street elevation component. A Tea Bar in the outdoor section creates an engaging & functional element. The counter has been strategically placed in order to be of serviceable to the outdoor & indoor dining areas.

The spectrum of materiality outdoors is a combination of European fan-shaped stone, pebbles & grass in sections that add an earthy character to the space. The canopies of the trees overhead provide shade to the outdoors & add a sense of visual dynamism to the space with transfiguring shadows through the day.

The sectioned & multi-level niches weave together an intricate concept in the venue. Victorian street lamps, cobblestone streets, vivid hues, dainty canopies, café storefronts & archways dot the café & take one away on a mental voyage while they dine in the confines of café, where magic & romance intoxicate the lingering air. Tea Villa Café, Kandivali is the amalgamation of engaging design, stark materiality & colors that evoke a foreign charm in the venue.