| From the architect | 

In rural Bangladesh ‘Haathkhola’  means a meeting place for people to gather and trade products as well as banter. In remote hamlet, the place ‘haathkhola’ is for everyone, and we have tried to adopt this philosophy of accessibility and interaction in our café and gallery as well. And following the concept, the design itself have tried to give people a taste of traditions of the country, that too keeping the décor urban and modern.

Rickshaw is a vital part of urban life here in Bangladesh. Hence the pillars, cash counters and the edge of light sheds are adorned with bright rickshaw art. Similarly the café’s sitting arrangements also follow the same pattern of the extraordinary urban folk art.

Here we have also tried to experiment with recycled items; stairs are made of abundant  timber  used in ships, chair & tools  are made of rejected tires . the flooring is made of red cement, reminiscent of the houses of years gone by. Seen by day from outside, the space resembles a closed container covered in glass and green. By night, the Café and the Gallery displays a transparent image that is open to its surroundings, reflecting colorful lights and the clay coated walls onto the glass.