M:OFA creates the idiosyncratic interiors of Cafe Delhi Heights as a ‘satirical movie set’

Open app. Choose dish. Order in. The mega convenience of food delivery apps has become such (especially in major cities) that the restaurant experience has transcended (or diminished?) the act of dining. The ease of ordering from the comfort of our homes is coercing restaurants to adapt to this system, prioritising it over the food experience. With the ever-increasing megapixels of cameras in our mobile devices and a swelling obsession with documenting everything, our digital photo albums are teeming with visuals of food, places, friends and selfies.

The menacing combination of unprecedented access to cameras and the prevalence of social media has resulted in hospitality spaces finding additional offerings by becoming objectively more aesthetically pleasing and proffering appealing backdrops for online posts. Manish Gulati, founding partner of Delhi-based firm M:OFA considers this in the evolution of his latest hospitality project in India: “A few years ago, the phenomenon of a selfie point picked up, which are aesthetic locations where people go and click memorable pictures. So invariably, when we were doing restaurants, clients would ask us to create a couple of ‘selfie points’ that would help them reach new audiences through social media.”

M:OFA’s design for the restaurant chain Cafe Delhi Heights located at the Pacific Mall in Faridabad, Haryana, picks up on these trends and imbibes a peculiar blend of Indian elements and pleasant pastel shades, evoking the idiosyncratic imagery of Wes Anderson films—ala the bright curated sets of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) or The French Dispatch (2021). Reminiscing the project’s conceptual inception, the Indian architecture firm’s principal architect tells STIR, “We thought, why not, as an experiment, design a space with not just one or two selfie-worthy backdrops, but [multiple], picture-perfect backgrounds. The entire restaurant then becomes a moment in time—like a film set. Every person visiting becomes an actor. In a time when we are increasingly obsessed with recording and clicking ourselves, how does a space like this stimulate our performative tendencies?”

The quest and research for the best, most aesthetically pleasing film sets then led M:OFA to study the cinematography of American filmmaker Wes Anderson, wherein they were especially fascinated with the components and compositions of his frames as well as colour schemes. Gulati elucidates how the concept evolved into the resultant restaurant design: “We wanted to be inspired by Anderson’s universe, but translate it into a more ‘Indian’ visual language. We studied his body of work and picked four to five movies which were relevant to us. We aimed to contextualise it through a few elements: one was by depicting Delhi’s architectural elements and the other was the Indian Railways train which used to be the only way for people to commute from Faridabad to the national capital. The third element was the renowned Surajkund in Faridabad. What if all of this was seamlessly tied together into a permanent movie set? This placement brought in the visuals of a juxtaposed collage that became the restaurant.”

The entire restaurant becomes a moment in time—like a film set. Every person visiting becomes an actor. In a time when we are increasingly obsessed with recording and clicking ourselves, how does a space like this stimulate our performative tendencies?
– Manish Gulati, founding partner and principal architect, M:OFA

With the interior design process adding a level of complexity with each step, the studio decided to bring in artificial intelligence as a collaborator—their sixth team member to be precise. Through a continuous feedback loop that entailed the permutations of hundreds of images of old Delhi and many of Anderson’s movies (especially The French Dispatch), AI was instructed to interpret the local architectural elements in Anderson’s style. The interpretation further inspired Gulati to sketch the seamless streetscape which was uploaded back to AI for visual refinement. The eventual process consisted of modelling the space based on the references and refining the visuals based on the renders, eventually forming the elements of the continuous streetscape.

Describing this AI-stimulated design process for the hospitality design, the Indian architect expressed his opinion on how artificial intelligence did not do the creative heavy lifting and instead, just sped up the iterative process. “Metaphorically, if we look at the team as a film crew and me as the director, the designers were akin to art directors who would research and curate themes. AI would then bring it all together like a technical editor, tying in the themes into a cohesive picture, in a collaboratively iterative process.” He also explained how instead of the usual myth of AI taking away jobs, it ended up creating more opportunities. “Even though it looks simple after execution, the amount of sampling that has gone into getting the colour palette and textures right is staggering. While AI helped us greatly in terms of iteration, it also gave us significant challenges to get those executed,” he continues.

Built in a square space, the cafe’s design has three of its walls replete with colourful elements, while its fourth edge becomes a vantage to savour the space in its entirety. The first element is the ‘Indian Dispatch Wall’—inspired by The French Dispatch—which depicts the rich architectural mosaic of elements from Old Delhi and Faridabad, especially weaving in the lively spirit of Old Delhi’s Bazaars through arched doorways and eclectic signages.

“As guests approach, they’re pulled into a scene that feels like it belongs in a movie—each arch and sign guides them through a new layer of the space. The design doesn’t just reimagine Delhi through Anderson’s cinematic lens; it reinterprets his visual storytelling language to pay homage to India’s streets, where every corner is a story waiting to be told. The wall creates a vibrant narrative that merges Indian streetscape with cinematic flair, resulting in a space where cultural nostalgia meets visual whimsy,” the project’s press release states.

The second wall houses a train wagon booth seating, evoking nostalgia for the trains connecting Old Delhi and Faridabad and reminiscent of The Darjeeling Limited (2007). “We crafted the booths to resemble first-class compartments of a railway wagon, with an open front like a scene from a movie set, capturing the magic of travel in an intimate, cinematic setting…Trains have long been an iconic element in Indian cinema. From romance scenes and dacoit chases to lively dance sequences, the humble, red-oxide-toned railway wagons have served as the backdrop for countless unforgettable moments on screen. Long before cars and metros, local trains managed by Indian Railways facilitated the daily commute of thousands of industrial workers between Delhi and Faridabad. Inspired by this legacy, as well as the evocative portrayal of train travel in The Darjeeling Limited, the decision to incorporate a train wagon as a central design element felt both nostalgic and purposeful,” M:OFA relays.

The final wall comprises the low seating area inspired by Surajkund’s ancient stepped reservoir, while reflecting the playful aesthetics of Asteroid City (2023). The designers combine the historical significance of Surajkund with jovial design choices, interpreting our heritage through Anderson’s visual vocabulary. A pink bar becomes the commercial design’s 360-degree centrepiece, which again, draws from the visual language of The Grand Budapest Hotel, intended as a metaphorical chandelier that ties the space together.

“While designing the low dining area or the ‘baithak’, we reimagined an Indian kund, inspired by the earthy, raw steps of Surajkund in Faridabad. Surajkund is renowned for its historic step wells and vibrant gatherings, which provided a rich context for our design. The wafting aromas of fresh food and the lemony winter sunshine of Delhi influenced our choice of yellow and blue for the walls, creating a nostalgic, animated interpretation of the sun and sky. This colour scheme, reminiscent of the pastel tones and dreamlike atmosphere found in Asteroid City, creates a playful yet structured feel that keeps the overall vibe fresh and vibrant,” they continue.

Gulati also informs STIR about how designing the hospitality interiors went beyond just the spatial optics: “With food being so readily available at the tap of the fingers, the restaurant now holds a more social meaning in everybody’s life. It could be for a date for two, for a small group of friends or family or for a larger gathering. Our interpretation of the restaurants accounts for all demographics through a variety of seatings in different spaces, be it through the two chairs and a table outside the theka or the playful seating arena of the Surajkund.”

Fresh, charming and conceived as a ‘satirical’ movie set, the Faridabad outlet of Cafe Delhi Heights by M:OFA is a vivid kaleidoscope forming an intentionally cinematic backdrop for fun social gatherings or romantic dates. It is also a self-aware, ironic commentary on our obsession with the optics and aesthetics of everything we do and engage with, reflecting our overriding infatuation with the ‘perfect ambience’.

Project Details

Name: Cafe Delhi Heights Faridabad

Location: India

Typology: Commercial Design, Cafe, Restaurant

Year of Completion: 2023

Architect: M:OFA

Area: 5,000 sqm