The brief was to create a culturally respectful Indian restaurant with a modern twist. The restaurant is renowned for serving fascinating blends of traditional cuisine in a lavish setting. Asha's is heavily inspired by erstwhile Bombay and the vibrant Art Deco style of the city's aesthetic. The owners wanted a warm and inviting space that was sophisticated enough for a pre-theatre dinner and comfortable and cosy enough as a reprieve for tired shoppers. Diners are immediately welcomed into a warm ambience which is enhanced by spectacular lighting installations. The Art Deco lighting discreetly integrates soft-lit chandeliers and downlighting, highlighting the tables and India-inspired artwork. Asha Bhosle, the founder of the glorious restaurant, is the legendary Indian musician and playback singer in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Cooking is her passion, and she wanted to create something unique in a strongly thematic environment. Her favourite colour is orange and she wanted this to form an intrinsic element of the design inspiration. Rich accent walls and leather finishings on traditionally styled rattan chairs pulled the design together. One of the challenges faced by the LW design team was to create a welcoming bar area in a restrictive space. Innovative use of mirrors, Art Deco styling and discreet lighting provided the sought after brasserie-style ambience. The bar is expressive and makes a statement as each guest enters the restaurant. LW designers found that exploring markets and antique stores led them to find furniture that blended with Art Deco, Indian and contemporary styling. The designers were keen to create an aesthetic that would not overwhelm or alienate visitors to Asha's, but to welcome them and embrace this magical culture. The project had a tight budget which meant that LW designers had to optimise the various moods that the lighting created and effortlessly move from day through to night. Technically, the lighting was well-considered to ensure that the down and decorative lighting complemented each other and didn't cause any duplication that would create overly bright spots. Smart control circuitry allows the lighting to be regulated with a daily clock timer. Staff can override the clock timer when events take place in the restaurant. The team can also control the lighting remotely with an app on a smartphone or other mobile device. LW Design cleverly sourced fixtures and furnishings with a taste of Art Deco and India in local markets. One of these remarkable sellers was Huda Lighting, who provided the bespoke pendant metal lights. The lights added an additional sense of fascination to the overall décor of Asha's. Various accent walls, vibrant furniture and an array of textures allow the light to play throughout the restaurant. By combining soft-lit chandeliers, inset ceiling lights and downlighting, LW Design highlighted beautifully presented food, India-inspired artwork, accent walls and objet d'art such as the oversized concrete planters and wood-grained full-bodied porcelain tiles that line the floor. Vintage Indian accessories were purchased from local markets and added a sense of cultural charm to the restaurant's already explosive personality. Carefully placed rattan screens are one of the highlights in Asha's restaurant; they provide a certain intimacy for diners. The brasserie-style bar is heavily mirrored and boasts seemingly floating display shelving units that have discreet underlighting, which allows the whole space to appear a lot larger than it is. Throughout the restaurant are various textured walls on which the light can dance. Throughout the restaurant, LW Design has effortlessly woven ribbed orange leather and subtle rattan details into the intimate curved banquette seating. Beautifully patterned panels that appear in the bar and service stations are mimicked in the ceilings. The elegantly crizzled glass screens provide depth and an inviting atmosphere for intimate meetings and gatherings. The décor is a combination of pale greys, blacks, and zingy orange; the colours each perform differently with the various lighting techniques and create a restaurant that conveys good humour. LW Design sought décor and furnishings that exuded the vibrant touch and lavish fabrics expected of India whilst possessing the sophistication of Art Deco. Dedicated furnishings were sourced from local markets instead of major international chains. LW's exciting finds led them to source attractive thematic furniture that combines the expressiveness of the Deco movement with a hint of Indian culture. They also sourced Indian vintage accessories through local markets. The rattan used throughout the furnishings and screens provides a slight nod to the British Raj era. The lighting throughout Asha's restaurant has an impressive Colour Rendering Index (CRI) that ensures the brilliant colour rendition of the fabrics, textures and materials used throughout the restaurant and also in the food served. LW Design sensitively selected all of the lightings to make sure that the required detail accents were achieved whilst the lighting equipment remained discreet from view. Biophilic design is light-heartedly included in the restaurant, and numerous plants have been potted in oversized concrete planters and displayed throughout the restaurant whilst little pots float on the shelving at the bar. All lighting within the design are all LED lamps or have been integrated with LEDs with higher efficiency. Additionally, LW Design used A-Grade drivers to minimise the loss of power to heat. The dimmable lighting control system ensures that only 85% of the standard power load requirements is used at all times. The 100% load is only used when cleaning takes place. Asha's Restaurant has been extraordinarily well received by the client and its customers. The restaurant is in a shopping mall; its location creates a striking visual impact despite it being alongside many other outlets. Its warm and welcoming ambience draws people inside to dine at all hours. The lighting changes throughout the day, which allows the restaurant to attract different patrons for lunch, snacks or dinner. Asha's has become an icon in Dubai because of its rich design, its extensive Indian menu and exceptional service.
Asha's
LW
Bronze

1 / 10

Nathan Watts
Creative Director
at Interstore
3
5
3
5
4

Doris Sung
Principal/Director of Undergraduate Programs
at DOSU Studio Architecture/USC School of Architecture
The parts do not add up to a whole....
2
7
3
4
4

Lorcan O'Herlihy
Founder, Design Principal
at Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects [LOHA]
3
4
3
4
3.5

Ting Yu
Chief Architect
at Wutopia Lab
4
5
4
5
4.5

Julio Kowalenko
Cofounder
at Atelier Caracas
3
7
4
4
4.5

Simon Goff
Founder and Director
at Floor_Story
4
7
4
5
5

Tobias Geisler
Cofounder
at VAVE Studio
3
6
3
5
4.25

Janne van Berlo
Founder
at Atelier van Berlo
5
6
5
4
5

Frank Lee
Founder and President
at Shanghai Fengyuzhu Culture Technology
4
5
5
5
4.75

Nic Granleese
CEO and Cofounder
at BowerBird
5
6
5
5
5.25

Akanksha Deo Sharma
Designer
at Ikea
5
6
5
5
5.25

Victoria Yakusha
Founder and chief architect
at Yakusha Studio & FAINA Collection of live design
3
5
4
4
4

Jeff Yrazabal
President
at SRG Partnership
5
5
5
5
5
Designer
Client
Confidential
Floor area
0 ㎡
Completion
2019
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