Fact File
Location: Kerala
Size: 307 sq m
Principal Architects: George Seemon and Anupama Achar
Photography by: Praveen Mohandas
KoCo (Kottayam Company) by Stapati is an adaptive reuse project that saw a 150-year-old residence being converted into a quirky eatery. Not only does it introduce a unique gastronomical highlight in the neighbourhood, but notably, it brings a new identity to an old site. The project transforms the site’s ancestral house through adaptive reuse into a quirky restaurant that resonates with the local population of the neighbourhood and breathes new life into the bustling street. Converting the dilapidated building into the KoCo restaurant was a multi-step intervention. This process involved rethinking the spaces to accommodate the building’s new functions. The spaces were meticulously assigned to optimise the site’s advantages. Bringing in ample natural light was pivotal to the design. By strategically designing the spaces, a minimal number of changes were made to the structure by removing a small segment of the original roof and parts of the walls. This ensured natural daylight flooding into the surrounding spaces and benefitting the adjoining zones.
Keeping in mind the original site with the ancestral Kerala house, the intent was to preserve the essence of the building while bringing in a distinctly new identity. A choice of minimal materials, such as MS sheets, glass, and cement, was made to create distinct elements that sit delicately with the existing structure. A metal sheet was used to carefully replicate the profile of the roof structure and strengthen the original roof and accentuate its distinct shape. This metal sheet insert was then carefully pulled out to create a distinct entry. This further defined the entrance block, leaving a contemporary yet rustic impression to give a new feel to the space. During the night, the metal entrance profile creates a vivid silhouette that attracts attention on a busy street. The MS steel insert was extended into the building, cladding some segments of the interior walls to create a new look without overshadowing the original brick walls. All the existing walls, which were retained, were kept intact in their natural finish. The original textured brick walls were left exposed to contrast with the newly finished cement flooring and walls. This further added character to the space, highlighting the past and present of the mature building.
The interior spaces are an interplay between warm materials designed to bring in the feeling of familiarity of the timeless space while giving the visitors an ever-so-slight feeling of transcending time. Simple wireframe furniture was selected to maintain a sense of lightness. The interior is peppered with a touch of the Kottayam Company’s characteristic yellow, which adds youthful energy to the spaces. The smooth, polished cement floor extends through the spaces, binding all the elements together, and is also used as a finish on the new walls. A section of the cement wall curves into a seating area and is highlighted with a distinctive yellow. Glass walls were introduced in the rooms adjoining the courtyards, bringing a sense of expanse and connectivity to the outdoors. A long community table was introduced to cater to the young student population of the locality. The community table extends from the interior seating zones to the exterior through the glass screen, creating a seamless transition to the outdoor area. The entire goal of the interiors was to provide the customers with a prominent feel of the old structure with a fresh twist from the new interventions.
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.
