NADA Indianapolis

Stained red cedar and cor-ten steel act as a beacon in the middle of the monolithic beige superblock that is the Circle Centre Mall. In what was once a defunct department store in downtown Indianapolis, NADA has become an urban oasis. Its façade is literal in its portal imagery, ‘lifting the curtain’ to reveal the high energy, Mexican-inspired eatery beyond. Inside, the restaurant is organized into distinct experiences – the margarita fueled Cantina, the more formal Main Dining Room, and the elevated Private Dining Room. However, a series of apertures allows these independent areas to bleed into one another. A visual assault of colors, textures, and light weaves through these disparate spaces, creating a singular technicolor atmosphere. Each area is further defined by personalized seating types and an insatiable commitment to detailing. This attention is consistent throughout, heightening each idiosyncratic and nuanced space, while simultaneously coalescing the project.  The design employs a series of ‘thicknesses’ to provide guests with varying levels of privacy and display. Cantina tables recess into illuminated tequila bottle walls. Banquettes rise from polished concrete floors and nestle between velvet drapes and walnut siding. Circular booths are cradled by corrugated steel walls or carved into the great mass in the Main Dining Room.