Iconic Cafe Soho - Krishna meets Radha for Coffee

    Our journey started at the demolition site with the discovery of a beautiful picture of Krishna & Radha, sitting in a sublime garden teeming with all types of life forms, the garden of Eden if you will. We later on found out that it was placed among the rubble by our Indian client Hemal for good luck since Krishna and Radha are holy characters in the Hindu religion. This picture opened the gates to our research into Indian culture and art, which became the driving force behind our design. We did not replicate, we interpreted and contemporized the elements of Indian art in the cultural setting of 21st cc NYC. Our angular, dynamic geometry emulated the chaotic energy of NYC and blended with the paradise-like setting of Krishna and Radha, creating an original, post-modern collage. Materially, we used a well-calibrated blend of exposed wood joists, wax-finished white oak paneling, and authentic Mexican tiles (Indian too costly) which created a unique blend.  
   On a budget, we created custom artwork depicting Krishna stealing honey as a child, simple stools and tables were designed for the matching benches in plywood and oak planks. A flute, decorated the corner on the main facade, making an ode to Krishna's tunes when he played as a shpeard. 
   Iconic Cafe is a moving story of art and architecture, a timeless love story told in brick and mortar.