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Interior

04-11-2025

Photographer : Ravi Varma Photography & Films

Text provided by Architect

Cafeteria at Phoenix Avance Campus, H6A, Hyderabad

Located within the Phoenix Avance Campus, H6A, Hyderabad, at the heart of Hitech City, the cafeteria was envisioned as more than a dining hall—it was designed to become the social nucleus of the corporate campus, offering a vibrant, multifunctional environment for employees. The site, surrounded by dense clusters of office towers and buzzing arterial streets, called for an interior that could act as a refreshing pause point within the rigors of corporate life.

The client’s brief was clear: to create a cafeteria that could accommodate large volumes of people with efficiency, while ensuring it remained comfortable, lively, and inspiring. Functionality was a priority, but the space also had to embody the ethos of a contemporary workplace—supporting collaboration, rejuvenation, and informal networking. Our approach was to treat the cafeteria as a social common, balancing robustness with warmth, and operational efficiency with an elevated user experience.

The design inspiration stemmed from a sense of natural warmth and biophilia, expressed through materiality and spatial layering. An exposed wooden lattice ceiling was introduced as a unifying feature, its rhythmic geometry concealing building services while adding texture, scale, and order to the expansive volume. Beyond functionality, this ceiling element also served to subtly define different zones within the cafeteria—café-style seating clusters, communal tables, and bar-style counters.

Among the many elements, the wooden lattice ceiling stood out as the design feature we were most invested in. It provided both a functional solution and a strong visual identity, anchoring the cafeteria’s spatial experience.

Hyderabad,Telangana,India

Architects	:	Saga Design Studio
Area	:	31000 sq. ft.
Year of Completion	:	2023
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/saga_designstudio/

Indoor dining of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

Raised seating zone of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

Indoor dining of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

The challenges lay in reconciling high-capacity dining requirements with the need for warmth and intimacy. Large open spaces risk becoming sterile; hence, we employed zoning strategies, varied seating typologies, and greenery to create human-scaled, inviting corners without obstructing circulation.

The material palette balanced durability and elegance. Warm wood finishes in ceilings and floors set the tone, complemented by neutral stone and tiles for resilience. Earth-toned brick walls and lush planters added tactile richness, while pops of green seating reinforced freshness and vitality. Industrial undertones—exposed ducts and services—were celebrated rather than hidden, giving the space an honest, contemporary character.

Indoor dining of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

Spatial configuration emphasized fluidity and inclusivity. Community tables encouraged team interactions, intimate café clusters supported small groups, while linear counters catered to individuals. Circulation paths were designed for clarity, ensuring smooth flow during peak hours, while planting and partitions softened the edges, creating zones of comfort within the whole.

Lighting further layered the spatial experience: pendant fixtures accentuated dining clusters, cove lighting highlighted ceiling patterns, and recessed lights emphasized textures. By day, natural light animated the greenery; by night, the cafeteria transformed into a warmly lit lounge.

Indoor dining of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

In essence, the cafeteria fulfills the client’s requirements by being efficient, robust, and adaptable, while transcending pure functionality to deliver a space of connection and rejuvenation. It is a beating heart of the workplace, where architecture merges seamlessly with lived experience—modern, warm, and enduringly human.

Indoor dining of Capitaland H6B Cafeteria by Saga Design Studio

Lift lobby of Capitaland H6B Lobby by Saga Design Studio

Entrance lobby of Capitaland H6B Lobby by Saga Design Studio

The lobby was envisioned as the project’s most important threshold—an interface between the bustling corporate exterior and the calm, dignified interior. Surrounded by wide arterial streets and a dense cluster of commercial towers, the site demanded a design that would not only assert presence but also extend a sense of composure and refinement to all who entered. The lobby was thus conceived not as a mere waiting zone, but as a spatial experience that establishes identity, continuity, and lasting impressions.

Entrance lobby of Capitaland H6B Lobby by Saga Design Studio

Spatially, the lobby was configured around principles of openness and flow. Circulation remains unobstructed, while seating clusters are arranged to encourage informal interactions. The reception desk anchors the experience against a stone-and-wood feature wall, while the travertine cladding guides users toward the lift corridor, reinforcing the design’s intent of continuity. Oversized planters punctuate the space, introducing greenery as a counterpoint to stone and marble, and embedding a biophilic quality that softens the formality of the corporate setting.

Ultimately, the lobby emerges as more than a transitional space. It is a place of pause and interaction, where stone, wood, and light coalesce to form an identity that is modern yet timeless, formal yet approachable—an architectural expression of the values and aspirations of a contemporary workplace.