MANOJ BHAVAN – HIGHWAY RESTAURANT

"They say life is a highway and we all travel our own roads, some good, some bad, yet each is a blessing of its own.”

One does not take a road trip without stopping at a Highway Restaurant. Any journey, be it an adventurous one or an arduous one, needs a break to refresh and relax. Such highway restaurants must be inviting to the travelers who wish to explore the journey more than the destination.

"Any clever devil would decorate the highway to hell as beautiful as possible."

The Manoj Bhavan - Highway Restaurant is positioned in Madhuranthagam, along the 100 feet wide Trichy – Chennai National Highway. The essence of the restaurant is to attract and arrest the attention of fast moving highway vehicles from a distance by the use of strong geometry and bold shapes and sharpness, a play of varying silhouette, material, texture, color and form.

The restaurant is an incorporation of massive structures with irregular angles that create three different faces to the on lookers. This way, the travelers are welcomed from all the directions. These three faces create a visual axis which is both inviting and appealing to the visitors.

Slanting walls along with the combination of irregular angles entice the on lookers and creates an interesting visual appeal.

"The best thing about concrete is that, it looks unfinished."

The exterior and the interiors are constructed with exposed concrete and plywood shuttering. The cantilevers are formed by steel truss framework and they are an interesting play in the structure which emphasizes the outlook of the building.

Usage of exposed concrete and the neutral colour scheme of various hues and tones of grey and white, creates a balance and uniformity that compliments the usage of the irregular angles.

The cantilevered Director’s room is designed in such a way that it overlooks the processing and the flow of activity of the restaurant. The glass frame with steel channels are held together by channel sections. Niches have been fashioned as seating along the interior exposed concrete walls. The janitor area in the washrooms has also been carved with niches.

The tower which holds the over head tank and its head room acts a focal point that is capable of attracting passengers in the surrounding 3km radius. The massiveness of the tower makes it as a prominent landmark of the restaurant and its verticality and vastness makes it easier for the visitors to spot it even from a distance.

The children play area along with the landscape provides a relaxing ambience for both the adults and kids. The pathways are defined through the means of landscape.

The highway restaurant acts as a retreat for all the travelers. Its serene location and ease of access makes it a pleasurable space for people to unwind and rejuvenate after a long tiring ride.

The comforting landscape and the sculpture-like mass will invite the tired traveler in, offer a pause period and a time of bonding, and rejuvenate their senses, before they restart their journey.

In conclusion, Manoj Bhavan, makes the journey of a traveler to a destination more delightful and enjoyable, because the journey to a destination is equally important as the destination itself.

“The road is a word, conceived elsewhere and laid across the country in the wound prepared for it: a word made concrete and thrust among us.”