When you walk into a watering hole, you expect to be greeted by strangers trying to speak over the blasting music, dim lights, and a bartender doing tricks at the counter. Instead, at 1522 The Pub Kamanahalli, designed by Studio Camarada, you walk into an ambiance straight out of Peaky Blinders.
As you walk into the posh neighbourhood of Kamanahalli, also known as Kamanahattan, in Bengaluru, you anticipate the cosmopolitan setting that accommodates classy restaurants and state-of-the-art residential areas. And so, when you first enter the building that houses 1522 The Pub, you might feel confusion seep in. A busy bank on the ground floor flowers into a thematic British pub on the first floor as you move up the staircase, revealing the pleasant surprise. Bespoke wallpapers, mirrors, and ornamental frames comprise the essence of the space.
“Our brief was to make it a British-Irish pub with a Peaky Blinders feel. We worked on adapting the idea – a more post-industrial theme,” revealed Andre Acacio Camara, the Project Lead at Studio Camarada.
The architects of the space were given an empty canvas in the form of two 5,000 sq ft floors. Unanimously deciding that the pub would be incomplete without a dedicated entrance, apart from the common elevator and staircase, the architects consulted a Vasu consultant.
The structural glazing that confined the space opened up to fabricate an outdoor seating area that has become a favourite. Instead, the architects introduced a brick facade that runs common across all 1522 outlets.
The exteriors and interiors seem in a tussle to get the most attention, with the external facade adorning cast-iron panels and semi-circular, segmented fenestrations. At the same time, the indoors showcase a display of Minton tiles, religious motifs, and grapevine. The sky-blue blends into a subtle sage green and pale inside.
“We didn’t want to rely solely on Bengaluru’s legendary good weather. To ensure that a guest is comfortable, we introduced a treated air cooling system. The landscaping, and being able to see the busy road from above gives the space an overall laid-back vibe,” revealed Andre to AD.
A beautiful, bold black-and-white pattern staggers across the floor in rows, matching stripes that scamper across the muted olive-green pillars. The false ceiling, made from mesh-plaster, flexi-ply, and brick cladding, is enclosed in textured paint and brings a much-needed dramatic flair to the space. Wood-framed, cane-backed furniture sits in the room, ornamentally placed to make comfortable lounging quarters.
As you push through the olive double doors, sound isolating, if you may, you find yourself between an embellished staircase you can only describe as ‘grand’ and an imposing bar on one end. Andre splits the floor plates open strategically, maintaining the necessary beams while creating a double ceiling. “The staircase adds a dramatic touch here, and a bridge from where you can see both floors enhances the view,” shares Andre with AD.
Blossoms, the famous bookstore, Bamboo Bazaar, and some stores on Coles Road leave their remnants within the watering hole as shelves line with books and antiques.
The pub’s intricate detailing, which combines the feel and look of teak wood and veneer with carvings and cornice in pinewood of red sal, makes it an architectural inspiration. Muted tropical wallpaper partners the wood, and brocade fabric frames itself onto the sheath of the bar.
A vestibule in front of the bar has one end leading patrons up the stairs to a general seating area. Just off the bar, an elevated platform is curated to support intimate family gatherings. Ornamentally sculpted wooden frames from Goa depicting 70s and 80s pop culture line the walls here, as a tinted glass window hints at an old-world charm.
Wooden tables scatter across the open floor plan, making 1522 The Pub an ideal for events with an AI- designed wallpaper customised to highlight the setting. Wooden arches are responsible for dividing various sections while breathing some art into the space with its carvings. As you move upwards, you are met with ceiling vaults that Harry Louis of Bonda Soup Art took the courtesy to hand-paint.
Construction of the space took only about five months, despite it being one of the ‘quirkiest projects’ for Andre and his team. Shravya Shetty, Kannika Prakash, Bhoomika N, and Aditi Srivastava were vital team members for the project.
A playful encounter of texture and theme, 1522 The Pub refreshes the area of Kamanahalli. Its wooden interiors play a pivotal role swerving from the stereotypical watering hole, making it an exquisite experience to visit it.
