Situated within a five-minute walk from the beach, Pondicherry's first dessert studio Cream Affair is a treat for tourists and local beachgoers alike. Designed by architects Madhini Prathaban and Goutaman Prathaban of Architecture Interspace, the interiors are a maintenance-free domain that blend creativity with modern design ideas. By combining innovative concepts with timeless materials and fabrication techniques, Architecture Interspace expanded the area within the existing shell through out-of-comfort zone experimentation, making this one of the best restaurants in Pondicherry.
Cream Affair, Pondicherry: Sumptuous Seating
The 900 square feet space features a gallery leading up to the mezzanine cube seating area. Since the original space was 10x13', the architects introduced a mezzanine level in the double height place to create a seating area which was 20x26', thereby doubling the original space. For ease of use and segregation of function, two riser heights are used in the galleria—one for the mezzanine access and the other for seating. Formed of ferro cement concrete on grid rafters, the mezzanine floor and the galleria have a mild steel wire mesh which acts as a handrail and partition between the two areas. Neatly tucked below is the production space, serving station and hand wash.
Cream Affair, Pondicherry: Interactive Interior
To core idea was to replicate an informal experience of enjoying dessert at the beach inside a parlour. The dessert studio was completed in a span of 12 days, a challenge for the architects. Today it's a hotspot for tourists from Bangalore and Chennai and locals alike. The design, materials and construction technology were all adapted for a fast-tracked project. The dessert parlour with it's contemporary industrial finish creates an ideal space for interaction. A full-scale window offers street views yet retains the privacy of the customers.
Cream Affair, Pondicherry: A Delicious Palette
The colour palette of the interiors mostly comprise pastel hues that replicate the bright, fun colours of ice creams. The interior shades range from blue, yellow and pink. 100 cubes rotating on a vertical axis come together to create Cream Affair's logo; on the side of the logo, customers are allowed to add testimonials about the place.
Bubble waffle is a popular choice amongst customers. All desserts come with a scoop of ice cream, sprinkles and chocolate sauce on top.
Cream Affair, Pondicherry: Bright Ideas
To have minimum interference with the existing structure, lighting conduits were installed. Suspended from the ceilings, LED fixtures were connected to uPVC pipes using special reducers and the bends in the electrical conduits were achieved using L-shaped specials.
ALSO READ:
