Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The group who were to set up the Byg Brewski on Hennur Bagalur Road in Bengaluru met with a grand vision of recreating the Colosseum, Rome as the largest brew pub in Asia. Once they had a site in hand it of course was a challenge with its dimensions being 120’ x 700’. Of course, it could become a slice of the Colosseum! It took a while to dig deeper and figure out that the idea was not to plagiarise its architecture but to capture the openness, dramatic scale of spectacle for events and its ruined character as a means of creating the ambience. Not surprising, but only known later, that the vision of the project was of an entrepreneur who had previously owned a pub, directed 3 Kannada hit films and had embarked on a microbrewery business a few years ago. A heady mix of enterprise, visual understanding and who could feel the course of the narrative.
The blessed climate of Bengaluru and its pleasant evenings and beautiful sunsets was a beginning. The elements started coming together. The central area was to be stage for major events (such as the FIFA 2018 final with 3600 guests) and smaller events that could break away into smaller group spaces without isolating from the main. The openness of the central area (even the kitchen which is about 200’ long is never shut – no closure whatsoever – even this has become part of the living spectacle) brings people together much like town squares / community village spaces / an oasis (in the urban terror of the famous Bengaluru traffic) – somewhat making notions that are subconsciously felt as familiar.
Levels played an important role as the joy of being part of this public space / place (though privately owned – alas that that’s the only way we seem to be getting anywhere with the making of public space that has officially vanished since the last few decades). Different levels created the dynamics of an organically evolved place for people to spend times with family, friends and loved ones, over food, beer, music, events and joy. As night descends the place transforms itself under the dark limitless sky. The lighting brings another level of magic to the place with its warmth and greeter sense of enclosure in the darkness.
Many materials were recycled from old Mangalore tiles, stones from the site and surrounding including the boulders from the adjoining sites etc which would bring together a place made of pieces of the not too ancient past and bring about the feel of a much longer presence. The large water body drown the sound of the traffic and its cascading waters (which reuse rainwater that is harvested) brings motion and life to the place beyond the mirth of the happiness of the drinks and the food.
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