Discovering Babylon

This Hyderabad restaurant by 23 Degrees Design Shift pairs brutalist architecture with zesty cocktails and Mediterranean flavours

29 Aug 2025

Disha Kalyankar

In Hyderabad’s buzzing Jubilee Hills space is a luxury and nature often plays second fiddle. Between this urban jungle, at Babylon Kitchen & Bar, 23 Degrees Design Shift carves out room for nature and bar bites alike. Elevated on sleek columns and wrapped in raw concrete and warm sandstone it lets the city’s green side creep back in. “A recurring idea was to let architecture express itself and allow nature to take over,” says Srikanth Reddy and Neelesh Kumar, co-founders and partners at 23 Degrees Design Shift, alongside their third partner, Raghuram.

Bound to be a city haunt that just gets better with time, Babylon serves lush greenery, sleek concrete, Mediterranean plates and punchy cocktails.

You glimpse the greenery outside as shafts of sunlight spill through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the bar in natural light. Inside, plush seating by Loom Crafts upholstered in a vibrant teal punctuates the space with rich colour; Photography by Vivek Eadara

Brutalism under the leaves

Babylon’s design is a measured dialogue between raw concrete and the quiet presence of nature rooted on site. Existing trees anchor the open-air seating, their shade spilling gently over organic curves in the flooring to create serene pockets of calm.

Rather than imposing on the landscape, the building rises lightly on columns, leaving space for greenery to reclaim ground. “The structural intervention with the circular columns, segmented into smaller circular forms, create an illusion of weightlessness, seeking visual lightness.” the co-founders explain, who worked alongside Kiasma Studio for landscape design and Associate Architect at 23DDS Kaustubh Sharma.

A sculptural wooden ceiling twists overhead while teal velvet chairs and warm wood tables soften the industrial concrete and metal, framing the bar’s polished counter and backlit bottles against lush greenery beyond. Lighting design by Kunnal Shah and SPK Valo; Photography by Vivek Eadara

This open-air area designed by Kiasma Studio feels remarkably grounded, with a robust coffered concrete ceiling creating a sense of shelter and scale. Beautiful contrasts define the space, the tactile, organic warmth of the rattan bar stools and textured bar front playfully offsetting the clean, industrial lines. The pops of vibrant burnt red hue on the cushions by Loom Crafts add a flash of energy; Photography by Vivek Eadara

Sipping beneath sculpture

Step inside the bar and the first thing you notice are the glass curtain walls and sculptural wooden ceiling twisting overhead like palm fronds caught in motion. The bar below, lit by the subtle light invites guests to settle in with its smooth, polished surface.

Behind the counter, staggered metal shelves extend almost to the ceiling, with each bottle lit individually against a backdrop of glass framing the outdoor greenery. Plush teal velvet chairs and warm wood tables create comfortable pockets amid the clean lines and industrial materials. Exposed concrete floors and metal framing contrast with natural materials and plants, creating a space that feels both sophisticated and relaxed—ideal for both quiet conversations and lively evenings.

In an exterior frame of the restaurant, you can see the raw concrete and warm sandstone structure elevated on slender columns, softened by vines trailing down from above, inviting nature to reclaim its place within the urban landscape; Photography by Vivek Eadara

The open-air seating area features furniture by Loom Crafts, washed concrete flooring and a central tree bridging the indoor and outdoor dining spaces; Photography by Vivek Eadara

“The central part of the site that houses the brewery was pivotal to the entire design process; to utilise the shade of the two existing trees in the South-eastern quadrant for open-to-sky seating, the main brewery block was tilted in its position, sculpting pockets of courtyard around it,” they reveal.

At Babylon, the austere strength of brutalism is softened by the patient grace of creeping vines, delicate foliage and a conscious design performance that unfolds.