Architects: RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio
Area: 3600 ft²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Niveditaa Gupta
Manufacturers: IndiHaus Lighting, White Lighting Solutions
Principal Architects: Sanjay Arora
Clients: Dhruv Raj Vij, Jairaj Singh Solanki, Lair, New Delhi
Principal Architect: Sanchit Arora
Interior Designer: Vandana Arora
Studio Technical Head: Virender Singh
Architect / Text: Anushka Arora
Architect / Graphics: Jagdish Bangari
Contractor: Mr. Mangat
Lighting: White Lighting Solutions, Siddharth Arora, IndiHaus Lighting, Nikita Jain
Branding: Kavya Bagga
Lighting: White Lighting Solutions, Siddharth Arora, IndiHaus Lighting, Nikita Jain
City: New Delhi
Country: India

The Black Concrete Restaurant and Bar, designed by RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio, redefines the speakeasy concept within an oriental design framework. Located in San Fernando, Pampanga, the project features a discreet entry through a glass brick and mirror curtain, leading to an industrial, underground aesthetic space. The design incorporates grey and black concrete, creating intimate and visually cohesive areas, including an infusion bar, a cocktail bar, a sushi and sake bar, and private dining spaces. The project blends traditional speakeasy elements with contemporary design, offering a unique and immersive experience.

The Black Concrete Restaurant and Bar / RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio

The latest creation from RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio introduces a new typology to the concept of a speakeasy within an oriental design setting.

Upon entry through a discreet, dramatically lit glass brick and mirror curtain, visitors are introduced to a den-like, dualistic dream—a cave. This clandestine nature formed the project’s foundation, aiming to create a modern speakeasy with intimate, unadulterated textures. The Black Concrete, designed by Studio Renesa, is a product of the dialogue between speakeasy traditions and contemporary design, resulting in a playful mimetism with materials, challenging the constraints of the space.

As guests first venture through the glass brick entry, the initial impression is a mirage created by a reflective mirror staircase with pendant lights hanging at varying lengths. Directly ahead, a black curtain separates the world of hidden encounters from the upstairs dining area. Behind the curtain, the “cocktail cave” adopts a more industrial, underground appearance. The first ‘lair’ of the concept is the contrast between two raw materials—grey and black concrete—which visually consolidate the space.

The trapezoidal space houses an infusion bar and a cocktail bar, with foldable tables and bar stools to free up space as the night progresses. The infusion bar offers a mellow vibe with comfortable seating. Key features include a curved seating area and a glass brick smoking room providing silhouetted views of the cocktail bar.

Adopting a theme of twists in monotones and contexts, the second ‘lair’ adds character and intrigue with carefully chosen fluted glass and slip openings in the wall that define the sushi and sake bar on the second floor. As guests ascend the spiral staircase, they are struck by the materiality, arriving at the sushi bar, a live station with high seating overlooking the double-height space. Adjacent to this is the formal dining area, which offers a more subtle, dimly lit atmosphere for intimate gatherings.

The third ‘lair’ is a covert entry opposite the kitchen and storage. Here, visitors discover a private dining area concealed within the wall, presented as a hidden retreat. The disguised facade, created through a fictional narrative, transports visitors from their everyday lives to a space where they can enjoy good company and well-crafted cocktails.

In conclusion, the project presents an antithesis: constructed from glass blocks, silver sheets, and wood, it unfolds, deploys, and flips itself across the walls, floor, and ceiling to form a cocktail bar. Arranged in a rectangular array of fluted panels aligned with the black arcade, the design seamlessly merges into the adjacent space diagonally. The inclusion of conical lights and plants suggests a sanctuary, an escape: the Lair.