Category: PUBLICATION

The historical city of Dhaka is heir to a rich cultural legacy of architecture which can be seen in the surviving   buildings and monuments, and certain arcas of the city. The temples, mosques, palaces and havelis of the kings and nawabs, and the narrow dark lanes and horse-drawn carriages of Old Dhaka, have been slowly replaced by the emerging urbanised city. In this fast changing scenario, the buildings and interiors designed by Enamul Karim Nirjhar are statements of modernity that yet retain a traditional flavour.
Nirjhar is a young man of many talents. Starting off as a graphic designer while studying architecture, Nirjhar was invited to contribute a design for Unicef cards, by the Geneva Head Office. As a photographer, his name fig-ures in the Who’s Who PSA Journal ’93, and he has also won various awards. And, as a painter, Nirjhar has participated in National Fine Art Exhibitions. Nirjhar believes that interiors are the heart of a structure and a design is successful when it tells about the use of the space and its occupants; this depends on ‘how much the drama of the interior supports the drama of real Ide and daily chores’.

THE WHITE CASTLE Away from• the hubbub of the city of Dhaka lies Safura Tower in Banani, of which The White Castie restaurant occupies the topmost two floors, the 15th and 16th. Its spacious arca, covering 5,000 sq ft, with a capacity of 175 guests, is a fine place to enjoy some quiet hours. The brief called for an ambience which brings the outdoors in, a linking of exterior and interior spaces, by introducing as much openness as possible. The space had to handle both buffet and seated parties, and provide a comfortable interior with a sophisticated, international look, which would attract guests. To create the sense of openness, and exploit the spectacular view from the building’s topmost floors, Nirjhar opened up the north and south walls by low-ering the sill levei, and treated the east and west walls with tinted glass. The name of the restaurant demanded something sophisticated, and although Nirjhar was more accus-tomed to working with modern graphics, simple lines and primary colours, he undrrtook the chal-
lenge to work with curves and mouldings, with elas-sical elements and subtle colours, to create an arena ofluxury and style. As you step out on to the 15th floor lift lobby, you are greeted by a smiling host and a black granite-topped reception desk. The lobby is moderate in size, but bold and inviting with four classical columns defining a brightly lit surface on which the logo shines in brass. The staggered false ceiling, with a combination of direct and indirect light, highlights the space, while huge potted plants make the place come alive. The lift lobby leads to two dining arcas on either side and one enters through arched doorways, with wood framed glass doors and elegant brass handles. The dining lobby has a polished floor of non-slip tiles and a round, dropped ceiling with a chandelier, directly under which is a moulded pedestal bearing a display of fresh flowers. Several slender grey columns define this dining lobby, while rectangular plant boxes provide a lively contrast to the toned down colour scheme. On one side of the lobby lies the grey coloured cashier’s counter and the stairway to the top floor. Then comes the dining area. The plan of the restaurant is open and spacious, the style, warm and soothing. The richness of the polished walls, columns and ceilings are gently toned by a mono-chrome low contrast colour made by the architect himself. The square tables have simple mouldings, and the upholstery of the chairs matches the colour scheme of the room. A dust grey colour carpet com-pletes the colour scheme. A combination of fluorescent and tungsten lights from the moulded two-layer ceiling throws an inter-esting pattern of light and shadow over the total space, the furniture, the plants. Mural paintings depicting white horses placed under the air-condi-tioner, dominate the wall and make the AC less noticeable. Actually the louvered panels have been designed to hide the AC. At the other end, this treatment of the air-conditioner is repeated, but the
louvre have been made to look like part of a win-dow A dramatic view of Dhaka is seen through long, tinted glass on the north and south sides of the din-ing areas, which replaces the original smaller win-dows, offering considerable transparency. In conti-nuity with these glazed openings, the east and west walls have been treated with black tinted glass, giv-ing a feeling of an opening looking on to the night sky. A carpet-clad staircase leads upstairs. The stairwell and other niches are accentuated by lighting, and adorned by painted earthenware in assorted shapes and sizes, matching the entire colour scheme. Even a recess accommodating the AC on the staircase land-ing has been camouflaged by a simple pot, softly backlit. The second floor houses the kitchen and the din-ing space with a delightful terrace where. one can enjoy the view. Pottery and foliage adorns this space. There is a cleverly designed kitchen and service area, and service stations at convenient locations with ample storage space for the matching napkins, linen, cutlery, etc. The location of the toilets is hidden and beautifully parititioned by a square grid, mirrored panel. This inviting environment is complemented by a team of smiling waiters, attired in white and black. This was a challenging job for the architect, who had not only to design the interiors, but create a total image for the restaurant, starting with the logo design, menu, waiters’ uniforms, even the ads and promotional flyers. As the restaurant is located on the topmost floors, Nirjhar had to attract customers by some kind of representation on the main entrance on the ground floor, which could be seen by passers-by.
This he did by decorating one side of the entrance with a carriage and two white horses standing at a modern traffic signal, seemgly waiting to head for The White Castle. This work consists of two and three-dimensional graphics with boards and neons — a sym-bolic representation of the past meeting with the pre-sent, conveying the message that tradition can blend with the needs of today.
SQUARE CENTRE
Nirjhar’s recent work includes the much appreciat-ed Chairman’s Floor, and Hospitality Floor (Restaurant) on the 12th storey of Square Centre. The latter has a 2,000 sq ft restaurant where one can-host buffet parties as well as formal sit-down meals. The open floors are accessible from either side of the lift lobby and there is an open terrace in front. An interesting mural on the wall has been created from chess elements and square grids. The use of indirect light, and the unusual green colour scheme makes the space special. Nirjhar is now working on the remain-ing 14 floors of Square Centre, besides the renova-tion and interiors of Hotel Agrabad, a new two-level 8,000 sq ft restaurant at Chittagong and other pro-jects. The IRA Training & Welfare Centre for Jagorani Chakra, a complex covering 150 acres of land at Jessore, has been commissioned to him recently. Nirjhar’s work is characterised by an appealing style of simplicity. He believes that minute details and functional solutions in an interior help him to blend in the architecture with better efficiency. His work is usually remarkably thorough in detail, with unusual colour schemes, resulting in interior spaces which are pleasant to look at and comfortable to use. He tries to work with local materials and crafts-men, and attempts at modernising the materials and the skills of the craftsmen. This dynamic architect enjoys his work and believes that ‘life is a burden when work is a load; life is wonderful when work is a passion!’

What could be more appropriate for a theatre restaurant than a name and theme from one of the most dramatic and amusing short stories ever written: Somerset Maugham’s ‘The Luncheon’. It’s what inspired architect EnamulkarimNirjhar to create Bangladesh’s first theatre restaurant. Maugham conjures up a fastidious woman who shudders at the mere mention of anything so mundane as food, but is persuaded to just try a little asparagus…and gradually a succession of delicacies which finally leave her young host broke. But, fortunately, a meal at Asparagus won’t leave you penniless- it will be an evening of professional drama combined with fine dining. Explaining the background to the concept, Nirjhar says that Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has only two private organizations with stage facilities for the performing arts, though drama features prominently on the curriculum of both Dhaka University on the city’s central zone as well as Jahangir Nagar University on the city’s outskirts. Realizing the need for another venue for professional drama Nirjhar had long dreamt of establishing a theatre restaurant since he had already designed several successful restaurants in both Dhaka and Chittagong.

When he was able to bring enthusiasm among the promoters of a restaurant project to invest in the innovative concept of a theatre restaurant, Asparagus came into being. The entire environment of Asparagus conveys the theme, which evokes both drama and food, expressed through graphics, abstract paintings and meticulous interior detailing. The site was originally a two storeyed residential bungalow with a front lawn in Gulshan Avenue, one of the city’s upmarket areas. Its main entrance was to one side, leading to a portico which game access to the interior. There was a kitchen garden at the back. The ground floor consisted of the usual living room, dining room, two bedrooms, kitchen, garage and driver’s quarters. However, the bungalow had earlier been converted into a restaurant which had closed down. The client planned to use this same ground floor space and transform it into a new restaurant. Although the exterior of a building –  its architectural style; form and materials – receives the most critical attention, it is the interior, that ultimately determine its success or failure, It practice, the interior dictates whether the occupants respond to the building as a satisfactory or unsatisfactory environment. Since the site was originally a residence, both its exterior and interior had to be remodeled, with several extensions and modifications, the original facade is transformed and your see snazzy graphics and signage. From a step up platform a man dressed in the costume of traditional folk drama welcomes visitors. The drama continues as your step in. From the front garden, a column wall and beam structure forms a large triangular mass (erected at the boundary wall level) heralding the facade of the restaurant. The constructed slab allows a lofty, double height space in the interior. This area houses the reception and a dining area in front of the performance space. The side wall has a window in the shape of a triangle in conformity with the mass of the facade. The front wall, which used to be a load bearing wall, has been remodeled into a column and beam structure. A step now provides access from the front to the central dining area. The existing side window has been replaced by the stairway which leads to the mezzanine level. To create another dining space and a passageway to the banquet hall, another load-bearing interior wall has been dismantled and remodeled from the foundation level. One obvious essential was and unobstructed dining area, so a beam was added to provide structural support to the existing wall. The existing stairway has now been concealed from the main restaurant and tis accessed from the rear service area. Restrooms have been enlarged to suit the requirements of a restaurant.
A part from the main restaurant, Asparagus also has a banquet hall for parties and conferences. This new construction was shoe-horned onto the former kitchen garden. A setback from the boundary wall has been ingeniously landscaped with plants so that the banquet hall with its generous glass windows gets a vista of greenery.
A total service zone has been created and spaces designated for as office, a store, a pantry, a dishwashing area – and of course a greenroom for visiting performers. The original kitchen, servants’ quarters and garage have been transformed into a large main kitchen suitable for a restaurant. When you enter Asparagus you first see a double – height lobby and reception, leading into a lounge area with a water body at one side, and the exclusive dining area overlooking the stage. Performance facilities include and central lighting and music control booth, a waiting space for performers, and a makeup and changing room. Thought the stage is not large, its irregular shape makes for an unusual arena. Some guests in the mezzanine dining area also have a view of the stage. An elevated dinging hall and an exclusive salad and juice bar have replaced the original living, guest, family and dining rooms, and the verandah. A triangular aquarium with colorful fish attracts visitors as they step up here. Even an enthusiast like Nirjhar relished that all guests may not wish to watch a play while dining out, so he planned three dining areas; one for guests who would like to enjoy both food and performance, a mezzanine level for guests who may want to watch the performance while they dine, and a third for guests who do not wish to see the performance at all.
Nirjhar has given Asparagus and up to the minute ambience – right from the partition façade behind the welcome desk, with its abstract sculptures of wrought- iron tress set in a panel of mirrored glass and wood. Elsewhere design details fabricated with wrought – iron elements lend a contemporary air and snazzy feel to the ambience of the entire restaurant.
A dramatic skylight illuminates the café theatre, while a handsome interplay of finishes creates a sense of excited expectation, light tones of wood, glass surfaces with screen prints of extracts taken from the story which gave Asparagus its name green landscaped areas, the story which gave Asparagus its name, green landscaped areas, the lighting, the paintings, the wrought-iron details… all highlighted by a skylight which illuminates this one of a kind café theatre.

WE

When the architect of this restaurant fell into a discussion that questioned his identity it gave him a feeling like he was nowhere. In an impetuous state, a sudden call from Hampshire presented him a challenge to face this reality and to explore a new identity for himself abroad. And so he stepped onto a journey to the west. ‘WE’ is the sign of a compass in the mind of this architect. The word `WE’ is a combination of the first word of west and east.
The story behind the restaurant is – “an egg on its North-South axis, revolves around on an east-west direction oblivious to separation. How does the yellow yolk (or kusum- a bangla word or if used as a girl’s name, means ‘flower’) inside it, part? Kusum- or the girl, grows up, and becomes a mother one day. Her touch of boundless affection makes music on kantha (a rural quilt) for the child of tomorrow. As time goes on the stitches grow and in the end, it all comes together to become WE”. In all parts of the restaurant we can see the reflection of this story. The architect was given a rectangular space, with some obstructions on the outer surface and a very low ceiling to work with. At first he tried to solve the problem by making the space functional and giving it an abstract aesthetic. It did not work. He overcame the limitations and finally got it right; the restaurant now looks right. At the entry lobby
There is a waterfall at the left, which evokes a warm natural feeling. Working around the low ceiling, he gave the whole interiors a different look. the parallel walls are painted white on one side while a rural quilt – a hand written diary of the architect and fitted on Perspex – is on the other side. Text – both in Bangla and English – is written on the glass and the ceiling: there are different gestures of dance on the base of walls; detailed wood carvings on doors and walls give the restaurant an exceptionally beautiful Eastern look. To provide a contrast in materials, the Bar Counter has been designed as a lightweight structure.
The culinary arts of South-East Asia – unique in itself – has already won the hearts of the most demanding of gourmets. But as far as its design goes, the restaurant has been designed with only one intent which is that true togetherness will spread amongst all those who share the magical moments within the idea of WE

VOOT the restaurant

VOOT is a Bengali word, generally indicates some super natural power that rules. In our country stories are based on ghosts is so popular than everyone feels interested to have some gossip on it.  Ghosts are generally found in haunted houses or in trees. Everyone feels scared to go there. But sometimes fear takes joy & pleasure.
The preliminary idea of this restaurant was to conquer the fear & frustration with joy & entertainment. Urban life in Dhaka is in transition. People become obsessed with the mechanical life. But where to go, to get some different entertainment! Where to find a place, which can give mental relief!

LIAKAT ALI RESIDENCE

URBAN LIVING ENVIRONMENT in our country generally varies according to the built area & land area ratio. In our country there is a crying need for the dwellers to utilize maximum spaces according to their needs along with their land areas. Sometimes ae3sthetics conflict with their rational needs. Positive outdoor spaces are really a crisis factor in our residential plots. The project location is in Pachlais, Chittagong. It is the port city of Bangladesh. Natural settings with small hills elsewhere and terrain land levels make its topography outstanding. The architects made his consideration in the project’s functional layout, as he connects north & south side facing rooms trough a connecting bridge.

The built area is considered on one side of the cardinal line while the other part is considered for open space. The building is North-South elongated considering 50% land from the front side. So 50% open space is the positive space where landscape with a swimming pool is accommodated. As the sun rises from east and sets at west, so at noon the foreside spaces get enough comfortable shadow. This is a positive solution for the client that has to be appreciated. An interlocking position of forms made of fair-face concrete structure with limestone cladded building. The architect’s taste of using materials as glass, aluminum louvers, limestone, as well as different types of wood makes an interesting intermingling of contemporary & indigenous materials.

Residence 78

In the traditional rural settlement of Bangladesh, water bodies known as “PUKUR” is a common feature where circulation between the spaces is often organized. Like courtyards water bodies become common spaces where circulation between the houses often regulated. The project is in Banani, Dhaka. It is mainly an exclusive residential area. The Architect wanted a unique space, where diversified spaces can be enjoyed from a single volume. It was also a requirement of the client to make the spaces introverted as well as creating a climatic buffer. Thus Residence 78 is the modern adaptation of the urban context.
Space has its own configuration at different levels. This was done to perceive the totality of the house from terrace and form has followed the function. The interesting feature of the project is its central water body from which the uniformity of the spaces at different levels is found. Grandeur, privacy as well as comfort were the basic demands of the client. Ratio of solid void surfaces makes a buffer from the roadside.
Geometric organization of rectangular forms makes the internal arrangement simpler as well as defined circulation spine keeps the circulation user friendly. It is a fair face frame structure building. Brick is the main built material and limestone, glass, is cladded over its skin. Fair face concrete, brick, woodwork, stainless steel and marble are used as the main finishing materials. The design team tried to give the building a finished look by assembling different types of indigenous materials along with climatic comfort and spatial organization.

যে সৌন্দর্যবোধ ব্যক্তির নিজস্ব চেতনা ও দায়বদ্ধতা থেকে উৎসারিত, তাই আধুনিক স্থাপত্যকলার ভিত্তি। স্থপতি এনামুল করমি নির্ঝরের সৃষ্টিকর্মে এই সত্য দীপ্যমান। মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যার সর্বস্ব কেড়ে নিয়েছে, বাস্তুহারা হয়ে যিনি নিজেকে তিলে তিলে গড়ে তুলেছেন। জীবন-বাস্তবতার রূঢ়তা তাঁর অভিজ্ঞতাকে ঋদ্ধ করেছে। সেসবই আলো হয়েছে তাঁর স্থাপত্যে।