Baradari, City Palace, Jaipur

By Pragnya Rao

The interiors is a convergence of the old and new, where traditional technique meets contemporary design

Most conservation and revitalisation projects are fraught with staying true to the old or moving with the times. But there are a few that straddle the two, ever so beautifully. Like the Baradari restaurant in Jaipur designed by Delhi-based, Studio Lotus. Commissioned by the royal family to give the 14,000 sqft area of the former palace café a facelift, the team started with first stripping off the paint and plaster to reveal the original stone masonry of the palace. The exposed masonry was then covered with traditional lime mortar with details formed in lime plaster.

An intricate chevron inlaid flooring dominates the Baradari, which literally means a pavilion with 12 columns. Drawing from the underlying Indo-Sarcenic influences of Jaipur’s architectural history, you will find here, a sprinkling of traditional crafts like Thikri work, bespoke casting and foundry work, furniture and stonework. The island bar housed in the contemporary Baradari-inspired pavilion is built using metal, fluted marble and mirror. Marble benches line the deep verandahs enveloping the courtyard to create intimate dining spaces. Mild steel and brass are used for bespoke lighting and door design.

Verandahs line the courtyard creating intimate dining spaces.

The dining spaces are warm, personal and intimate. A combination of marble and stonework adds to its charm.

The existing cement plaster was stripped off and the exposed masonry covered with the more traditional lime plaster as part of the revitalisation of the space.