Downtown Doha hosts Indian hospitality icon!

By Savitha Hira

Photography: Courtesy the designers

Read Time: 2 mins

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DA Designs carve out a contextually flavoured, pleasantly endowed restaurant in Doha for a well-known Indian hospitality chain… 

Both black and white are classic colours and can weave a distinctive narrative when applied strategically.  But combine both in minimalistic abandon and what we get is a fashion-forward, understated, but dramatic flourish that holds the eye – and yes, leaves its imprint too! 

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Masala Canteen – the Indian restaurant in Doha, Qatar sports vertical Zebra stripes cascading from its double-height walls (accentuating the height) to the floor in an eclectic sweep of black Marquina marble and Vision white granite that subconsciously dramatizes the setting against which the rest of its vibrant palette comes alive. 

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Sectioned into casual and buffet dining with a display kitchen for effect on the ground floor (66 covers) and private dining options on the first floor (38 covers), the ground-plus-one eatery is inward-looking and offers a variety of seating options to engage diner preferences. 

Cushioned and wicker-backed chairs, deep-seated sofas in hues of leaf green, ochre and flaming red; tables sporting mirror polished moon grey marble tops with delicate brass inlay; scenic wallpaper and wainscoting wall panels in royal blue that are further accentuated with laser-cut artwork in metal, finished in matt gold and an intermittent appearance of mirror panels framing the artwork… spell regal chic without being in-the-face.

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Ceiling-suspended plain and colourful blown glass lamps for the first floor and Art Deco lamps that complement the industrial-style ceiling with the exposed air-conditioning duct on the ground floor, create an ambience that is both – dynamic and attention-grabbing. The high ceiling is balanced by Masharabiya-like low-height partitions that strategically segment the open plan. They find their complement in the main door design perhaps, to contextually aver to the parent city. 

The two levels are handsomely connected by a grand staircase that uses mid-landings and winders to augment the element of surprise and awe as one moves to the first floor. Technically, the staircase is a challenge accomplished as the designers had to accommodate grandeur and connectivity within narrow confines!  

The entire façade is encased in a second skin of large vertical fins built out of aluminium sections anodised in gold to create a modern vocabulary. Not only does this minimise light ingress and heat gain, given the climate of Doha; but acts as a showstopper in the buzzing downtown area.

Fact File:

Client: Kailash Parbat Group of Restaurants

Design Firm: DA Designs

Principal Designer/Architect: Devesh Birodkar, Anjali Birodkar, Meenakshi Kapoor

Area: 3000 sq. ft.

Location: Bank Street, Doha, Qatar