On top of the world! That’s what you’ll feel at Ozora,on the 20th floor of Acropolis Mall. t2 gets the first feel
TT Bureau
Published 14.12.16, 12:00 AM
Octave Rooftop Lounge & Bar in Bangkok, 1-Altitude in Singapore, Aer in Mumbai… rooftop sky bars never fail to make it to the Top 10 things on my vacay to-do list. Having said that, I suffer from fear of falling, which is often confused with acrophobia (fear of heights). I love heights minus the experience of my ears getting blocked. But then there is no joy without pain, and the joy of being at a rooftop bar with the wind in my hair certainly beats any sort of phobia.
So when I learnt about Ozora (‘the big sky’ in Japanese) which opens atop Acropolis mall on December 16, my excitement soared. I reached dot at 4pm for a preview on December 10 specifically because I didn’t want to miss the sunset. Fur jacket and boots — I was geared to combat the cold snap and being a true-flu Bong, I always tend to feel colder than most of my non-Bong friends.
As I entered the elevator alone and pressed the button to the 20th floor, a certain Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey popped in my head, er, thanks to the latest Fifty Shades Darker trailer. ‘Laters, baby!’ I quipped to myself as I had no one special to share that evening with on this gorgeous deck! Yet as I walked towards the Skydeck, my level of anticipation grew with every step.
A strong gust of wind welcomed my tresses and I stood for a moment in awe at the sunset. The sky was pink and the moon had surfaced on the other side, waiting in the shadows for its turn to take over. The Calcutta skyline (yes, Kasba surprised me!) looked breathtaking despite the partial cover of smog. It was peaceful and all I wanted to do was sit quietly, take in the view and be lost in my thoughts (and, of course, take as many pictures as possible while at it!).
Conceptualised and developed by Saket Mohta, director of Merlin Group, the operations are being handled by Varun Mimani and Aditya Mehta, the men behind M Bar Kitchen. “The view gets even better once the sun sets,” I was told by Varun and Aditya, who showed me around the 25,000sq ft property. In a few minutes, I rubbed my eyes at the Calcutta skyline glittering in the distance. The private pool had an unhindered view of this skyline. By night, the Skydeck wore a changed look. The island bar, the plants and the private dining sections were ‘lit’, well quite literally. #MindBlow
Standing at Ozora, I could be at any of those aforementioned bars. Only this time, it was in my city and I could baar baar dekho!
SKYDECK: The 10,000sq ft Skydeck has an LED bar and a 110-seater dining area (including a 45-seater private dining restaurant or PDR). The entire space is lit up with LED lights running across the edges, floor panels and plants. If you want to get a 360-degree view of the Calcutta skyline, drop in just before sunset and watch the sky turn many shades of red. The music will predominantly be mellow but expect the tempo to go up as the day progresses. “We were blown away when we saw this property and fell in love with it. Calcutta lacked a proper sky bar and the view here is mind-blowing. The focus was to keep this space classy and clutter-free,” said Varun Mimani and Aditya Mehta, directors of Ozora.
banquet: The ceiling — done up with crystal lights — is the USP of the 6,000sq ft banquet hall that can pack in around 400 people. The colour scheme is muted with beige, grey and brown shades.
pool and lounge: This section comes with an adjacent lounge area and requires prior booking. In summer, get your swimsuit out and do the Paaniwala dance with your squad. In winter, host a poolside barbecue. “This project was done for the creme de la creme of the city and it is our contribution to the fast-developing skyline around the EM Bypass,” said Saket Mohta.
executive & conference room: Turn your meetings and conferences into chill zones with “customised menus”. This space can be booked by anyone (and not just Acropolis card-holders) against a rental.
restaurant: If you prefer a quiet meal, step inside the 75-seater speciality restaurant. The LED lights reflect on the polished marble lending the space a warm glow. “We are concentrating on post-modern cuisine, you can say food in 2050! Fusion, Indian, continental and Asian touches are our prime focus,” said Bangalore’s chef Roshan, in charge of the kitchen. The bar is open on all days except Tuesday and Thursday.
Hexagonal iron dividers segregate the45-seater PDR at Skydeck into six sections. “The concept revolves around the geometric abstraction of delta patterns of river seen prominently from that height and we have tried to incorporate these geometries and patterns to achieve the intricacy in individual spaces,” explained Sahil Jain of Morphlab, Mumbai, who has designed the space.
SMOKING COCKTAILS: A gadget? A spaceship? No, it’s the Meduse shisha. Made with Bohemian crystal (hand-blown glass), the chillum is flat and also made of glass unlike the regular clay and conical chillums found elsewhere. The body has two pipes. One can add real fruits and alcohol (optional) — this one has raspberries and strawberries with champagne as the base. The flavours used are herbal. Prices start at Rs 2,500 and the hookah lasts for around an hour.
A bird’s-eye view of Ozora’s Skydeck clicked by the t2 photographer after climbing on top of the AC duct in the opposite wing of the Acropolis building!
Text: Pramita Ghosh. Pictures: Rashbehari Das
(Ozora opens on December 16)
