sP+a connects campus in mumbai with dining pavilion that weaves between the trees

sameep padora & associates (sP+a) has designed an outdoor eating area for a management college in mumbai, india. located on the sion campus of the K.J. somaiya institute, the ‘student dining pavilion’ is a partially open space that serves as an extension to an existing indoor cafeteria. situated between an eight storey building to the west and another college building to the north, the pavilion was designed with three objectives in mind: to serve as a dining area; to create a physical link between the site’s aforementioned buildings; and to contain a brick amphitheater for informal gatherings.

all images © sergio ghetti

designed by sP+a as a continuous platform, an elevated plinth weaves between the site’s existing trees connecting the buildings. overhead, a translucent canopy is supported by slim circular columns with integrated lighting. aligned in scale with the neighboring structure, the roof plane appears continuous from below, with occasional shadows of tree foliage subtly animating the sheltered space.

‘the beam structure is held in place by peripheral circular columns which hold light fixtures as well as a cantilevered fixed seat all along the periphery of the plinth,’ explain the architects. ‘this single detail of the column to seat, column to beam, and beam to the roof membrane structures the entire project.’ other projects by sP+a include a temple made from black limestone and a brick vaulted library. read our interview with sameep padora, the firm’s founding principal, here.

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project info:

name: student dining pavilion, KJSEIT
location: mumbai, maharashtra, india
built area: 1,000 sqm / 10,764 sqf
completion year: 2019
architecture firm: sameep padora & associates (sP+a)
design team: nikita khatwani, subham pani, aparna dhareshwar
structural consultant: rajeev shah
client: somaiya vidyavihar
photography: sergio ghetti