Three food and drink venues at JW Marriot Pune, a five-star property in western India, comprise of substantially different cuisine types and corresponding ambiences, from contemporary European dining, to an Asian vegetarian setting, to chic international lounging.
“Alto Vino” Italian restaurant’s contemporary casualness emerges from the abundant use of glass and stainless steel as well as a restrained palette relying on tone-on-tone colour application. The substantial presence of white tones in seating upholstery, table tops and brickwork, further contributes to a decidedly modern scheme. Despite such contemporary elements, the setting upholds traditional fine dining aspects of elegance and luxury in a subdued atmosphere.
At one side, the ceiling transitions towards floor-to-ceiling windows displaying exceptional views of the city. The full height windows permit ample light, which during the daytime plays off the restaurant’s distinctive glass-enclosed wine tower to striking effect. Elsewhere, the privacy screen feature has been updated with a contemporary twist: by combining two different patterns – the rhythmically geometrical with the scrolling and tendril-like arabesque. The 4-metre floor-to-ceiling height screen installation separates while maintaining a visual connection through mesmerising pattern repeats.
Additional elements creating a blend of rusticity and modernity include the restaurant’s central brick oven. A focal point within the main dining area, the oven and its off-white bricking are framed by rough-hewn wooden shelving that reaches fully to the ceiling. A sense of snug homely pleasures is further enhanced by stacks of cut logs beside the fire amid adjacent collections of heavy white bowls, plates and other dinnerware.
Paasha Bar and Restaurant takes verticality to another level. Guests entering the enclosed bar and restaurant on the hotel’s 24th floor encounter an undeniable grandeur achieved by significant interior height which begins at 3 metres at the entrance, before swooping up to the 7-metre rooftop dining and lounge section. Such a breathtaking experience is established from the very beginning by an entry corridor where radiant stacked-glass columns line the way. An elegant blue pearl granite bar bisects the indoor dining and lounging functions.
Atmospheric lighting, notably long columnar lanterns sets the scene. The bar’s eye-catching wine display similarly hangs fully suspended from the ceiling. A pointed Indian arch and jali latticework lend a traditional architectural flourish while demarcating the main bar’s central position between the lounge and dining room.
Outdoors, the palette changes but grandeur persists. Paasha’s rooftop component gave Pune its first sky-lounge venue. Lounge seating of plush white sofas and chairs are illuminated with effulgent traditional hurricane lamps. A rooftop bar ringed with lights from below glitters under the evening sky. Away from the DJ and bar areas, a dimmer and more intimate atmosphere prevails in starkly minimalist yet cosy dining nooks.
At the Shakahari Restaurant, elemental natural materials produce earthy sensuous appeal in this all-vegetarian venue. Grey granite cladding on columns and walls provides chiaroscuro tonal contrast through orderly rectangular repeats. The muted palette, in turn, sets off the room’s otherwise vibrant red and orange tones for an almost magma-like effect. Greenery jutting from niched planters within granite walls makes for a particularly striking juxtaposition of textures, while floor-to-ceiling is akin to vertical gardens between dining areas.
A rough-hewn charm emerges via multi-faceted chiselled floor-to-ceiling wooden rods that pick up the space’s strongly vertical aspects. Among its wood furnishings, perhaps most impressive are the 5-metre slabs of gleaming teak wood tables that retain its natural contours in private dining areas.
Despite such dramatic and sizable components throughout the restaurant, most guests’ eyes are drawn first to Shakahari’s open kitchen under its glowing glass hood. The hood’s illuminated square is the central colour criterion with which other brightly hued decorations and accents connect and reverberate.
Project: JW Marriott Pune, India
Location: Pune, India
Design Studio: PIA Interior
Website: piainterior.com