Tradition Wrapped In Modernity: Terracotta Tales
In the fast-moving pace of Dhaka city, do we not all feel the need to slow down, away from the chaos, experience the presence of the surroundings, and stay in the moment? Inside the premises of the Tejgaon branch of Aarong, Terracotta Tales pays homage to the local craftsmanship. It is a place dedicated to the warm and sentimental dishes and the comforting and heartfelt ambiance that make us long for home. Rafia Mariam Ahmed, principal architect of Hive Architects, designed this beautiful restaurant having intimate dialects with details. When an individual experiences space, what does make one recall it? What works there is the phrase: “design is in the details.” The goal of embracing details is to get you to think critically and present the best possible solution —right from the beginning. That is why details are important. They can keep us coming back, or they can keep us from coming back. And definitely, that comes from a good number of researches. Terracotta Tales is one such location where traditional village home details are infused into a minimal modern portrayal. Terracotta Tales and the adjacent bakery, Dough Diaries, are in a joint venture with Aarong. They are one of the restaurants under the Emerald Restaurants, with other operational restaurants being: Thai Emerald, The Red Chamber, Grove, Trouvaille, Gusto, and Emerald Bakery. The structure the restaurant belongs to was initially designed by Vitti Sthapati Brindo Ltd. alongside the Aarong outlet. The outlook of the structure, starting from the large openings, landscape, and interior to the detailed texture on the outer surface – all were later added as the journey of designing this tale began. The theme and menu of the tale were to be Bengali cuisine, from where conceptualisation of the space began. “I started going back to our roots of being a Bengali. I wanted to pick the elements so rich with history, which had been used daily in our culture, for so many years, and blend these elements with modernity. I wanted to design a space that would take us back to where we belong, a place more oriented towards slow living,” Ms Rafia shared. The space is an abstract representation of a mud house, the softness of which is found in the details of rounded corners of walls, doors, and windows. The unevenly matte polished surfaces with raw, warm earthy colours take you to the affection of the rural aura. Even at night, the lighting is as such to create the ambiance of a warm-toned hue of “prodeep” (dimmed fire lamp). The centre light pieces are delicately handwoven cane shades. Terracotta has been used in many details of this space. In the shade of the walkway, with that of the semi-outdoor space on the rooftop, and the centre of attraction is the wall of the stairway that leads to the rooftop dining. The wall is composed of thin slates of terracotta tiles arranged in triangular patterns, which creates dialects with the light from the sky at different hours of the day. The lanterns used in the rooftop space are also custom-made of burnt clay. As clay is a vital component of humans, country, and roots, the concept and name were associated with terracotta to represent its power of affection. Tales of local artists and craftsmen were incorporated into the design by the use of cane lanterns and clay lamp shades and the famous “Tepa Putul” (a local handmade clay doll of a specific style). Potters and artists made larger sizes of these usual small-scale dolls that are placed on niches as commonly seen in the mud houses. Framed rustic metal jewelry and decorative mirror are added to the wall to represent the daily used materials in a rural mud house. The landscape is designed to wrap an individual with nature. The restaurant is pedestrian-only, with no vehicular connectivity directly, focusing on the practice of being close to nature. The walkway has a beautiful line of bamboo trees on one side and specifically selected floral trees on the other. There is also an outdoor sitting area where the hard surface meets the green in an undulating line. A small body of water curves along the structure is an abstract form of “pukur” (a pond) as commonly seen in the rural context. Ms Rafia said, “The mere attempt was to get out of the edged effect of modern city life to a more mellow and soulful experience – Where one can only indulge in the presence of themselves, the company, and, of course, the food. The trees shed flowers and leaves, creating an inviting bed of nature for the people exploring the outdoors. The curved walkways toward Dough Dairies also give you a feel of the rural memories.” The subconscious nostalgia with the cane-woven furniture details makes one reminisce childhood memories from the ancestral homes. The utility area has been partitioned with cane-weaved partitions to camouflage it in the interior. The wooden curtain rails and the door handles add value to the theme, complementing the colour palette. A few subtle colours are added by using a floral print material on the back of the seats, preventing the guests from feeling monotonous. Old ceramic plates are decorated on the wall, making a spectacular composition of colours, history, and belongingness. On a bright sunny afternoon, when the sun kisses the shallow water next to the large window with curtains of translucent softness, the sheening glitter of the rippling water reflecting on the ceiling catches one’s attention while being indulged in the nostalgic local cuisine. The soul runs through the handcrafted details and the softness of the ambiance makes one feel warm, cozy, and at home. The modern city crowd is so much more over-oriented towards a captivated lifestyle that even a natural splash of water becomes a form of irritation. Terracotta Tales is a space to celebrate that naturally unnatural necessity of life that people are slowly getting carried away from. Authored by Rehnuma Tasnim Sheefa
Balancing Work and Tranquility Brac International Headquarters
With changing generations, the working culture along with its surrounding environment is evolving. As employees’ lifestyles become more comfortable, there is a greater demand for modern work life and space. One such example is the newly renovated headquarters of BRAC International. The office on the 14th level of the BRAC Centre is an exception in itself. BRAC International is an international nonprofit organisation that works to empower individuals and communities affected by poverty, illiteracy, diseases, and social injustice. BRAC’s institutional expertise has successfully implemented programmes across 10 countries in Asia and Africa, impacting the lives of over 100 million people by adapting the models according to the context of the specific country. As an international nonprofit, BRAC International wanted to give a fresh look that reflected their cross-regional work as well as create a space that employees would feel proud to work in. Chinton Architects Ltd. implemented and executed the designing process, closely working with the Executive Director, Shameran Abed. The design draws heavily on BRAC’s values and their core brand DNA. The principal architects, Md Ishak Miah and Neeman Karim, along with the project architect Md Shakiful Islam Proshun and the team, designed a modern yet humble office space that draws heavily on earthy and nature-oriented office interior by using many leafy plants in the indoor office premise. There are also many beautiful photos of programme participants throughout the office to inspire the staff. “Our new contemporary office interior is one of the first of its kind in the BRAC building and several other floors have been inspired to implement similar design elements on theirs. As BRAC International staff, we feel proud of our office and enjoy working here, while welcoming our colleagues from country offices who also feel good to have such a modern and beautiful head office,” Tania Ashraf, Head of Strategy, shared with Ceramic Bangladesh. The eye-dragging view of the whole Banani and beyond is a very complimentary factor and helps the employees to release stress amidst working hours, not making them feel claustrophobic. The offices along the sides of the building are semi-frosted glass partitions with maps and skylines of major cities and countries where the organisation has a presence. The main meeting room features the Dhaka skyline. “We wanted to create a workspace where people feel inspired to come and work. We wanted our colleagues to feel proud about working with Brac International.” A few featured walls are dedicated to showcasing photos of programme participants. The four columns passing through the f loor showcase the organisation’s values – Integrity, Effectiveness, Innovation, and Inclusion. There are separate meeting rooms, which are interestingly named after the working regions. The big meeting room has clocks showing the timing of all the internationally affiliated countries. The office also has standing desks for employees to take breaks from long hours of sitting. Tania Ashraf added, “The lobby area has a collage of photographs from the f ield and reflects our DNA which is very much a part of our daily work. Every morning when we come to work, we feel inspired by seeing these images as soon we get out of the lift. We wanted to create a workspace where people feel inspired to come and work. We wanted our colleagues to feel proud about working with BRAC International. As all of us work very hard, it was important for us to create a beautiful space where we can be productive as well as remember our purpose. Authored by Rehnuma Tasnim Sheefa
Delifrance’s baked items are made with flour from the Grands Moulins de Paris, a major French milling company operating since 1919. The recipes served follow the franchise standards, and the new recipes also get approved by Paris. Hence, the international-quality chefs bring to the table a range of savoury dishes alongside croissants and other finger foods.
