Project BigTop: THE CIRCUS CANTEEN

Born from the brewing cauldron of nostalgia and travel, BigTop is a farm-to-table eatery christened as The Circus Canteen. The circus is seen as an event of fanfare, wherein troop members put together a spectacle far removed from the clutches of the mundane. BigTop has been conceived with unconventionality helming the process. 

Each element from surface finishes, custom lighting, art installations, to the furniture has been curated from a city-wide waste donation drive; treasures wrought from salvage markets and dumping yards with less than 10% of the material being sourced afresh. Graced by the artistic community of Bangalore Creative Circus, this venue is emblematic of unshackled creative expression that manifests as hues, textures, and bespoke upcycled installations. Each table encapsulates a transportive experience, ensuring that the waste dons a reimagined sculptural presence entwined with utility. 

The series of arches at the entrance is composed of scrap metal bathed in a lively teal hue. The passageway axis is dotted with grunge chandeliers consisting of bike chains and metal filings, flanked by upcycled vehicle headlights that pose as luminaires. The overarching flooring is an ensemble of discarded display samples pieced together in a Tetris-inspired fashion. A patchwork collage of discarded wallpaper swatches creates a riveting backdrop to the food counter, imbuing it with an interplay of colour and pattern. The focal collage wall is a mishmash of e-waste, sanitary fixtures, and discarded furniture that resembles a whimsically imagined jigsaw of waste. 

Project BigTop is the beacon of a pressing environmental message, yet it garbs itself in an artistic mien while revealing its identity to its end-users. A space for the misfits where oddities belong serendipitously!