Café Grey
Architecture
Context
Located on the rooftop of Dongle Desk, a co-working space in Bangalore, Café Grey was conceived as an informal retreat within the rhythm of the workday. The brief was to create a relaxed café environment that could support quick coffee breaks, casual meetings, and moments of pause for the building’s users. Built as a new structure on the terrace, the design takes advantage of the building’s open exposures and views toward surrounding tree canopies.
Design Approach
The architecture is organised around two large glass façades positioned on opposite sides of the café. This arrangement allows daylight to move across the space throughout the day while enabling strong cross-ventilation, significantly reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.
Material choices remain intentionally honest. Raw brick walls, exposed concrete surfaces, and unplastered ceilings express the structure directly while minimising additional finishes. Subtle colour accents such as mustard seating, muted green shelving, and patterned tiles soften the industrial palette without overwhelming the spatial clarity.
Spatial Experience
The café accommodates approximately forty seats through a mix of seating types including two-seaters, communal tables, and counter-height work spots. Patterned flooring defines seating pockets while smoother surfaces guide movement through the space.
The interior extends onto an outdoor deck, allowing the café to open outward and connect with the surrounding greenery. Through light, ventilation, and restrained materiality, the space offers a calm pause within an otherwise busy work environment.
