Architecture Discipline has crafted a contemporary Indian dining experience at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, with the design of Ziya.

Ziya’s high ceilings and expansive glass walls bring the architectural language of the hotel into the dining space. Natural light floods the interiors, illuminating a design that embraces a polyphonic layering of expressions.

The entrance sets the tone with an installation of fire-fused glass against aged timber. Moving into the space is a custom-crafted 36ft liquid metal table evocative of molten fluidity despite the material’s inherent rigidity.

To one side of the central table, arched blue dining pods offer enclaves for diners. The blue arched pods, with radiating lines of metal foil, curve around custom-designed tables.

With a glass top resembling the rich hues of caramel and a base modelled after handcrafted timber Channapatna toys — shaped like a chess piece and painted blue — the tables cast diffused reflections of the overhead lights.

Other pods house a bar rendered in metallic leaf work and a discreet server’s station. A private dining room offers a secluded retreat, while smaller tables along the glazed facade invite views of the larger property.

The design of the ceiling sees sinuous grooves mirroring the fluid profile of the central table. Above, hand-formed glass sconces and custom chandeliers cast a warm glow, amidst artworks of antique furniture.

Solid walnut parquet floors, monolithic chairs, and a rich, moody palette ground the space, housing the progressive design elements within a relaxed, nostalgic ambience.