kaviar:collaborative, a design and architecture studio based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, recently designed Affogato, a coffee shop in Khar West, a posh locality in the western quarters of the city. The cafe's interiors are designed in a format that bears semblance to archaic subterranean spaces chiselled out for habitation or refuge. By installing a glass facade, the designers regulate the attention of those passing by, towards the cafe. Referring to Affogato, the Indian design studio shares, “Upon our first visit to the site, our minds immediately raced back to our time in New York visiting these small private art galleries in the bylanes of Lower East Side Manhattan. These were hole-in-wall spaces with large glass facades and bare interiors with the art on display being the centre of attraction that pulled people in. We wanted to play with this idea for the cafe with a singular texture for all the surfaces—walls, ceiling and floor and allow the coffee and gelato to be the heroes of the space.”

kaviar:collaborative is an Indian studio that was founded by Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani. Both Wagh and Hingorani are architects who completed their preliminary education in architecture at the University of Mumbai, L.S. Raheja School of Architecture, and subsequently proceeded to New York, USA, to undertake their master’s degrees from Pratt Institute. While Wagh is a passionate designer who considers architecture and design as mediums that can help alleviate problems across the globe, Hingorani examines the phenomenology of places and design elements to shape spaces that can provide improved user experience. Upon being asked about the reasoning behind naming the studio kaviar:collaborative, Wagh and Hingorani share, “The word 'kaviar' stands for kasturi vineet architecture - it is a little play on our names. The word 'collaborative' was added to the firm's name as we believe in working in a collaborative manner with our team of designers, contractors, consultants and clients.”

The architecture studio, still in its early stages, was established after its founders undertook their first assignment, Colour Me Happy, an interior design project for a residential building. The designers especially enjoy designing bungalows and holiday homes, as well as commercial and hospitality interiors. Enunciating upon the ethos that guides the two Indian architects, Wagh and Hingorani share, "We believe that design is all about curating an emotion within a space. In every project, we try following a mental algorithm which has three variables—the site, its context and the user—this helps us create a boundary within which we like to play and experiment." The cafe design of Affogato, too, yields to this desire to configure a space that manages to enchant and enhance the visitor’s experience despite scant ornamentation.

For Affogato, Wagh and Hingorani received a fairly open brief, one where the clients permitted ample space and freedom for experimentation. The only demand for the design of the space was for it to embody a cosy and welcoming aura. “They wanted the space to strike a balance between opulence and homeliness," the studio shares. Although the area of the cafe is only 600 square feet, the space offers at least three different pockets (for seating) within its interior and exterior outline. On average, the space can accommodate 25 people. Separated by walls, these niches not only offer a sense of privacy but also accommodate built-in seats emerging from the wall, beckoning visitors to experience the sculptural space closely.

Named after an Italian coffee-based dessert, Affogato is characterised by minimal textures, soft curves and a monochromatic hue. “With Affogato, we explore the idea of a gelato and coffee shop disguised as a subterranean art gallery. Akin to art pieces and sculptures showcased atop pedestals in an art gallery, one can find the wide range of gelato and coffee take centre stage atop the collection of stone blocks,” the designers share. Wagh and Hingorani intended for the space to host all the constituents as entities that can be regarded as artistic items.

The entire space, including the outdoor area, is configured using three materials—concrete, stone and wood. The floor, ceiling and wall surfaces are finished with a layer of beige micro concrete, which was applied using a trowel, such that it left behind twirling patterns that resemble the gelato swirls. The inclusion of stone in the form of cladding covering pedestals, and wooden furniture further brings in warmth into the space, beckoning visitors in.