Adaptive reuse of Nuwara-Eliya,Sri Lanka Postoffice to the high end restaurant

Project idea

This Design proposal is on transforming the Nuwara-Eliya post office into a high end restaurants. There for study on the location in micro and macro level and study on people are proceeded. Researches on tourism and tourists is done in sake of providing them all they need. As the project will be mainly based on Users and function. The conceptual process is shown in the report. Glimpse of further details are also shown.
BRIEF ON PROJECT
PROJECT
The project an adaptive reuse project based on Nuwara-Eliya Post office and redesigning it as a high end restaurant. The project falls under Adaptive reuse type. Therefore the project is the process of taking an old building/site and using it again for a purpose other than it was designed. So therefore the post office will be used in the process of changing the interior to go with the High-End restaurant.
MAJOR CONCERNS: To cater the need the building may undergo few changes to make it functional as a high-end restaurant. So strong analysis should be taken. As the new design is introduced the needs also should be looked out therefore sectors as Services, Access and safely should be considered.
context
History of Nuwara-Eliya The British Governor made a home here, paving the way for it to becoming an internationally-renowned health resort. In 1846, Samuel Baker, who is also renowned for his other discoveries like that of Lake Albert and exploration of the river Nile, founded the city of Nuwara Eliya in Ceylon.
TOPPGRAPHY Nuwara Eliya is located in the middle of the country’s highest pane plain. It is at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft.).It is a complex of massifs, mountain ranges, plateaus and basins, which makes nice landscapes. Making nice vistas is capable through this.
The natural vegetation consists of trees that withstands the climate and low temperature.Pine can be wildly seen. Totally we can see greenary through out the Nuwara-eliya that makes place for Bird-watchers,Nature lovers and photographers.
Source: https://lanka.com/about/attractions/central-market-nuwara-eliya/ *Consideration of vegetation helps to design the landscape so we can use native plants which is better. The menu can be designed accordingly so it can help the Nuwara-Eliya people to interact with the post office as well as providing them opportunities to widen their paths, through getting their products.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER Nuwara-Eliya, Which has a significant architecture which makes home away home. The fairy tale cottages, Red brick walls, Rose gardens, Tudor style buildings make Nuwara-Eliya as “Sri-lanka’s own Little England”. We can see rich Colonial architecture. Travelers from the England are particularly attracted by the architecture which is decidedly Victorian. Even modern buildings are built in the same fashion to preserve Nuwara Eliya\'s unique atmosphere. And also the windows, the building colors and usage of material sometimes repeated widely in buildings to keep the style. But in some areas the clustered buildings with unique feature spoils the beauty. Yet the old post office building, Queen’ cottage, St. Xavier’s Church are some of the remarkable buildings. The climate also played a major role in roof angles and material usage.

Project description

ANALYSIS AND IDEAS

The project is about transforming the post office into a high-end restaurant. The post office’s area is ideal for a small restaurant, which can provide the tourists a good service.
As this post office is located near the main bus stand and also it is a place where people visit in between the routine, its ideal for a café as the people will come in a quick run or sometimes exhausted in several time during day after their journey so some place to rest, relax and to have the best zest of Srilankan tea and a hot cake piece will be ideal.
The people who live here are very much connected to the post office and they never want a change in this building, so exterior changes must be avoided for to be accepted by the people. For to accepted by the people it’s much better if it can engage the people in the project in some ways*In this project the menu will be based on the products that can get from the people it self (one of the reason to select café concept because to major tea & varieties of tea on menu and also strawberry dessert in Srilankan style as well as more dishes with Sri Lankan recipes) So more than a café it will be a “TEA SHOP” IN THE SENSE“SRILANKAN TEH KADE”(THROUGH OUT THE REPORT IT WILL BE CALLED AS CAFÉ AS IT WILL HAVE IT’S ESSENSE ON IT)
Through the analysis and the study, the post office is ideal for a café which can serve the clients the products from local community.


User The users are tourists and locals. User needs: Clean and quality food Sanitary facilities. Nice interior. To spend the time peacefully.
Client: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Client Needs: To Get more tourists. Enhance the life of local community people. IDEA: Basically a high-end restaurant should satisfy the user’s requirements.
More than that this design can have: Spaces with proper sequence, Places that preserve the Old post office’s essence in a way yet making it a high-end restaurant. The design can have a significant feature of the is so special to remember.


This high end café will be a centre for people to rest, relax, gain knowledge about the post office which will be restaurant and enjoy their self and also to get reboosted As the Café will be getting tourists who are roaming around the city for the whole day, this center will be an energy booster for them
The common architecture style can be seen in all over the Nuwara-Eliya city. There for this post office building will recall an ENVELOPE AND LETTER. Like the envelopes are normally common for all the letters but what it contain is always unique for each so in this building the TUDOR ENVELOPE will have THE SRILANKAN LETTER. Which means the interior will be a contemporary design of Sri-Lankan style. As, the important building will have the touch of our own style.
There for the concept be:
“ETHENIC ENERGY BOOSTER”


BRIEF
Inviting entrance Reception Partly working postal area The memory maker and Post card selling area Lobby(with postal museum) & Discussion area Café 1(indoor) Café 2(outdoor) Washrooms Display Kitchen Storing area Outdoor garden Fire places




Starting stage Bubble diagram of the design
How to achieve the concept through interior and spatial progression? The spatial progression will be in a manner to increase the user’s energy with a small progression. Like the Entrance will be pleasing with natural and native plants and mild aroma to make them peaceful. The reception which will be having welcoming receptionists will welcome them warmly in Sri Lankan style. The lobby will be a place with very comfortable couch which will be a contemporary Sri Lankan style of having an outdoor seating like in old Sri Lankan house. So like in a Sri Lankan way they can sit there and also discuss about their trips and have a peaceful time, While the waiter will be there on service to get the orders. This large lobby will cater relation as well as entertainment to the kids and adults. The lobby will have ornaments and exhibits of old post office.
The café 1 Will be an inside area with two kind of areas with different lighting and seating. The first area will have a mild low lighting which is bright enough but not moody. With comfortable Bean bags for seats and timber tables which will also remense the Sri Lankan style of seating. And the seating will be comfortable than normal cafés. The second area will have more bright lighting and chairs and tables.
The café 2 will be an outdoor area for to enjoy the chillness as well boost their own energy.
The outside garden will help the guests to hand pick some of their ingredients.
Display kitchen, which will be open to the cafes will have live cooking. Which will transform the mood into a more of energetic.
Normally the aroma will enhance the mood there for it will help people to energize there for proper method will be used. The colors will be playing a major role in this. Normally greenery gives more of boost so certain plants and feature walls will be there. Soothing music to reboost them also will be there as the architecture can be felt by all senses here.
The dishes will be recalling the postal services as they will get shapes and qualities of stamps, envelopes and letters. The corner of the plates and dishes will have the same edges of stamp in order recalling and preserving the past and also to give a variation and unique quality to the restaurant.
Basic zoning map with access and arrangements of whole Basic zoning plan with proper internal space arrangements
(Changes are made through and improved from basic bubble diagram)

Technical information

The outdoor cafe uses a unique hyperbolic parabolic roof with nano fiber glass to with stand the climate and to create a contrasting out door.