Coffee, beer, food, but he's thinking of the building

ALLEN J MENDONCA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

BANGALORE: Hello darkness my old friend, come to talk with you again. Pink and blue neon, plexi-glass and steel. In the heart of Jayanagar 7th Block. The mind takes a leap to Times Square, even Piccadilly.
Young people in designer clothes sipping mugs of steaming coffee.

Sandeep Khosla in makeover mode. You bet it's gonna be hip. Very contemporary. Matching the best, worldwide.

"Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Co. that runs the Cafe Coffee Day chain wanted a change of image and approached me. We ripped up the floors and the walls with their old-world, heavy-set look and let in light, functionality and present-day aesthetics." In the next few months 150 Coffee Day Cafes across India will boast the unmistakable Khosla signature.

The younger sibling of fashion designer Manoviraj, believes he inherited the sense of design from his mother Gieta and from his professors at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York where he graduated with a degree in architecture.

"I grew up in Calcutta. My dad Rajen was with Tata Tea. I studied at La Martiniere and at the Doon School, Dehra Dun where I was a boarder. After Class 12 in 1987 I went to the USA and joined a small liberal arts college called Bard in Upstate NY. I wanted to major in art and economics. I gave up economics and concentrated on art. I spent two years here and also studied architectural history. That's when I transferred to Pratt. I worked in New York for a year with the Eggers Group P.C. and Wagman Design Group."

He met his soulmate Tania while at Pratt. "She was at Mount Holyoke. Our families knew each other. She came down to visit me one Thanksgiving break."

1992 and the recession hit the USA. "Dad had served in Bangalore and my brother and I used to visit the City. Viraj decided to stay on. For me it was time to bid adieu to the USA."

On returning to India, Sandeep worked as an associate with Charles Correa. "I took the plunge in January 1995. I set up Khosla Associates in Bangalore, hired a couple of bright people and my first job was designing the Kingfisher showroom for my brother."

The offers kept coming in __Bush Betta in Bandipur, bungalows in Chennai, Coorg. And that standing testimony to his creative flair, 180 Proof. "Jay and Roshni are friends. When they decided to turn that colonial landmark into a pub, I just jumped to the offer."

The pub has undergone a number of design changes down the many months and each time Sandeep has managed to infuse a higher sense of bonhomie with the very walls dancing to the happy vibes within.
And lo and behold, the twin building attached to 180 Proof was taken over by the Barista Expresso Bar and Sandeep, by now a master of restoration, has turned the place into a snazzy world of camaraderie over a cuppa.

He's done the interiors of other places to __Nike India, Indya.com, MTV India, Vastra and Bangalore Bistro. "I have designed a number of buildings. We are in the second phase of Syngene. But it's the interior design work that most people are aware of."

"Basically I'm a modernist. I've been trained in this school of thought. Design reflected in the context of space. I'm interested in designing using a modern vocabulary,. Using elements and materials that are local."
Sandeep and Tania travel extensively, especially Europe. " I get hugely influenced..."
"And yes, I don't compromise. I end up losing a lot of jobs."

Sandeep loves restoring old buildings and is willing to lend a hand to anyone who wishes to save the City's rich architectural heritage. "The City needs more interaction, from architects, engineers, town planners, then we can not only preserve its beauty but also improve functionality without destroying what we hold dear."