Designed by Manish Gulati of M:OFA Studio
Captured by Avesh Gaur
Ideation: Designing for the Social-First Era
In a time when café culture is driven as much by social media as by coffee, the vision for this space was to create more than a dining destination—it had to be a stage for stories, selfies, and social interaction. With food already accessible at the tap of a screen, the café needed to offer something irreplaceable: a tangible, memorable experience. The brief was to design a playful, inclusive environment that resonated with all age groups—whether teens curating their Instagram feed, families bonding over meals, or older patrons reliving memories. Every detail was curated not just to be seen, but to be shared.
Concept: A Café as a Cinematic Playground
Café Delhi Heights in Faridabad was conceived as a satirical movie set, where every guest becomes a character and every corner a camera-ready frame. The design is theatrical—larger than life and unapologetically kitschy—drawing influence from Wes Anderson’s iconic visual style. Each area serves as a curated backdrop for selfies, vlogs, and stories, making the space a social experiment in design, where architecture meets performance and every visit feels like stepping into a scene.
Design Process: From Anderson to AI
Inspired by the aesthetic symmetry and playful palettes of Wes Anderson films, the designers also drew on local references from Delhi and Faridabad, combining real-world textures with cinematic flair. Using AI tools, they created surreal mash-ups of historic India and whimsical movie worlds, generating moodboards that later guided the physical design. The result is a layered narrative, where AI-assisted creativity and human imagination come together to tell stories that feel both familiar and fantastical.
Interpretation: Stories Woven into Space
The café unfolds across three main zones. The Indian Dispatch Wall channels the spirit of Old Delhi through arched frames and quirky signage. The Train Wagon Booths evoke nostalgia for Indian Railways and cinematic train scenes. The Suncourt takes cues from Surajkund, blending traditional baithak seating with Anderson-esque pastels. At the center stands the pink bar—a dazzling 360° showstopper that’s both function and fantasy, echoing the charm of The Grand Budapest Hotel.
A Fusion of Cinema, Culture, and Code
This café isn’t just a place—it’s a narrative. Part cinema, part heritage, part tech experiment, it challenges the idea of what a café can be. With AI as a co-creator and storytelling at its core, Café Delhi Heights, Faridabad is where culture, creativity, and camera angles collide—offering not just coffee, but curated moments worth capturing.
