Windmills Restaurant & Craft Beer

‘Windmills - Restaurant’ is part of the Quad, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru - a vibrant, open air food court with stalls and restaurants, that connects the passenger terminal with parking and taxicab zones. Popularly known as ‘the Hug’, because of its enclosing arms of green, the restaurant serves as a refreshing pit stop for travellers. As the plaza has been envisioned as a temporary space, this restaurant is designed as a ‘lightweight’ structure to be dismantled after two years. The idea behind the form developed as an outcome of the limitations of the location. A linear space was allocated by the authorities with an open air dining area in front. We wanted to maximize the seating and did not want our structure to be imposing, hence we chose to develop this as a fluid form that rises from the ground, covers the seating space over the bar and gives the diners a ‘big hug’ as it sweeps back down on the other side. In keeping with our ideology, of making nature an integral part of everything that we design, we have maximized the use of plants on the structural envelope and relied on natural light and ventilation throughout the guest areas. The upper dining area has metal mesh fins along the length to filter the light coming into the space. A series of half-arches in metal form the framework that carries a coir fabric with pockets sewed in to hold the plants and make the outer envelope light-weight and sustainable. Large metal I-sections carry the load towards the periphery while multiple vertical metal members support the green roof at the upper level. Wooden flooring, wooden furniture and exposed brickwork make the dining experience warm and reflect our preference for the use of natural materials, which age gracefully.