BLUE BAOLI

About The Project

Café by Day, Cocktail Bar by Night

Blue Baoli is an Indian cocktail bar with a fusion design language, located in Janpath, Connaught Place, the heart of the capital city of Delhi. The space has different and unique characters, having the ability to transform itself into a café during the day and into an uber-Indian cocktail bar during the night.

Concept Note

An Experience to the Blue City

This 2000 square feet modern eatery is a design composition by New Delhi based Pantone Collective Design Studio, led by Tanya Chutani in collaboration with Upneet Kaur. The location, being Janpath, plays a major role in getting the attention of an audience, as it is a shopper's delight and a hub of attraction for both tourists and locals. "An empty room is a store waiting to happen, and the designer is its author." The designer brings the story from Indian architecture to this fusion bar, adding vernacular elements in a contemporary context.

The space is crafted with traditional elements like the series of steps — the Baoli wall, being the main focal point of the space — and a modern take on the series of arches. The entire colour theme is tied up with the Pantone colour of the year 2020, adding drama to the bar and taking its audience on an experience to the blue city. Traditional Indian interiors are known for their royalty, and who better than leopards to describe it — the leopard print pop-up wallpaper from Cole & Son catches the attention of the viewer yet keeps royalty, class, and elegance intact.

The tropical mural paintings incorporate the architectural elements of the place harmoniously into the picture, bringing about the inside-out concept of landscape. The tropical-inspired cushions and upholstery from Cotton & Satin add character to the storyline. The space has been designed to achieve different light and shadow effects during different times of the day, playing with ambient lighting to keep the well-lit atrium alive.

Dramatic lighting is an important feature of the bar, achieved through a customised, modern take on classic pillar lanterns and glass globe sconces with antique brass details — enhancing the aesthetic appeal and setting the right mood and ambiance. "Details are not just details, they make the design." A series of floor-to-ceiling arches layered in antique mirror makes the space look larger, yet the rustic finish keeps the old-world charm intact.

The rattan back armchairs and small indoor plants act as an important yet muted design element complementing the space. The design resurrects an inner passion for art, tied together in blues as the main colour language, with blush rose as the accent tone. The overall concept and design process is a work of art, successfully bringing together the uniqueness of strong forms, colours, and patterns.