Sometimes, a name is all it takes to inspire the whole process, and that certainly was the case with Ayodhya, a high-end restaurant at the Hotel Rajmahal in Bengaluru.

Inspired by its eponymous namesake and the temples of North India, the space is a modern interpretation of the temple architecture that resonates with many across the country. Built as a series of arched portals that, firstly, create definition and order, and secondly, support the stepped domes that give the space its defining characteristic, Ayodhya is a temple for food situated in the present.

The challenge in the project remained replicating the open-air nature of temples in a space with no natural light or ventilation. The stepped domes all house large light fixtures mimicking natural skylights, which, when combined with the neutral aesthetic and the greenery dotted around the space, make you feel like you’re dining in a courtyard outside.

The main feature remains a central seating element that is built around a single large planter, reflective of the large open-air courtyards with their singular central “Tulsi” tree found in traditional Indian homes around the country. The element anchors a series of loose furniture arrangements all around it, which can create a variety of configurations and maximising the usage of the space for a wide range of guests.