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Photographer: Avesh Gaur Artwork (walls) Hookkapani Artwork (ceiling)

New Delhi-based Urban Mistrii has designed the Padmanabham restaurant in Janpath, Connaught Place. Spread over 3100 sq. ft., the restaurant specializes in traditional South Indian cuisine amongst a landscape of bistros and bars. Inspired by the Hindu deity Vishnu, the name Padmanabham means ‘lotus navel’, and this space weaves together traditional and contemporary elements in a ground floor corner of Delhi’s famous colonnade structure, 

Vibrant colors, ornamental wooden elements, and motifs are elements of the Chettiar culture in Tamil Nadu. Embellished features such as wooden handicrafts and paintings, golden brackets and columns rising into the ceiling embody lotuses in the form of mandalas. Meaning ‘circle’ in Sanskrit, mandalas hold sacred significance in Hinduism related to health and wellbeing. Each color and band represent positive ideas like wisdom, meditation, and mindfulness.

Attangudi tiles complement the dual-toned walls, Chettinad columns, and Ratnagiri tiles. The central seating depicts the lifecycle and 10 incarnations of Vishnu along with floral motifs, contrasting with pop relief work in the form of lotus flowers rising from a pond. Golden lighting fixtures along the nave representing a blooming lotus symbolize prosperity and purity.

Seating booths and chairs with a polished wood finish and teal upholstery contrast cream-colored flooring. Groups of four and six are separated via wooden partitions to ensure privacy with wall art and ornamented elements. Open seating, counters, and planters have been planned to counter height restrictions in the central section.