Circle Sixty Nine: A brand born in conversation
Some projects come together like a puzzle—pieces clicking into place one by one. Others, like Circle Sixty Nine, unfold more like a painting, where layers build upon each other, each stroke influencing the next. When Sangita Kathiwada set out to create a public-facing bistro within Kathiwada City House, she didn’t just want a restaurant. She wanted a space that felt alive, where food, art, and nature weren’t just elements of the experience—they converged uniquely to form the experience.
Enter Aditi Dugar, whose understanding of hospitality and reputation for refined yet approachable food made her an obvious partner. And Turntable, who stepped in early to help shape the brand’s visual identity from the ground up. “It was a rare opportunity to create something so fluid,” says the Turntable team. “From the beginning, there was this shared vision of a space that felt connected—not just in theme, but in the way each aspect spoke to the others.”
Sixty-Nine: More than just an address
Naming Circle Sixty Nine wasn’t about being clever. For everyone involved, the question was – how do we distill the essence of a place into something memorable? Circle Sixty Nine, with a natural rhythm to it accomplished two things – a name tied to its address, Sixty Nine Pochkhanwala Road, while subtly nodding to Circle 1434, the private members’ club housed in the same compound. Beyond that, the name and its visual appearance evoked ideas of balance, movement, and continuity—all central to what the space would become.
“We didn’t want a name that just sat there. It had to feel like it was in motion,” Turntable explains. “Sixty nine isn’t just a number; it represents duality, transformation, the idea that opposites can be complementary. That’s what this space is all about.”
Art: The Beating Heart
Sangita Kathiwada envisioned Circle Sixty Nine as more than a bistro—it would be a galleria in its own right. She structured the space around different artistic expressions—works by masters, contemporary pieces, and permanent site-specific installations. The mural by Shilo Shiv Suleiman, which spans an entire wall, is a pivotal piece in this ecosystem.
“We had already finalized the color palette when Shilo started work on the mural,” Turntable shares. “It was fascinating to see how her vision drew inspiration from the palette, creating something that felt completely organic to the space.” The result is a work that bridges the bistro’s aesthetic with its philosophy, a meeting point between design and expression.
Bringing the Outside In
Kathiwada City House is wrapped in greenery, and Circle Sixty Nine also had to feel like and draw from the natural world around it. From the materials used to the color palette—deep greens, earthy browns, and neutral tones—the branding took cues from its surroundings. Even the menu system was designed with longevity in mind, using a modular format that allows for seasonal changes without unnecessary waste.
Inevitably, sustainability became a guiding principle. “If we were going to celebrate nature in our design, we couldn’t contradict our story with wasteful choices,” Turntable notes. That meant single-color printing on naturally dyed paper, reusable order booklets, and a digital-first approach to minimize excess materials.
A Collaboration of Perspectives
In the end, Circle Sixty Nine is a reflection of genuine creative interplay. Between Sangita’s deep-rooted understanding of art and culture, Aditi’s expertise in hospitality, and Turntable’s approach to branding, the space emerged through an ongoing exchange of ideas. It evolved in conversation, each decision influencing the next.
As Aditi puts it, “The best spaces don’t feel designed—they feel discovered.” And at Circle Sixty Nine, that sense of discovery lingers in every detail, from the curve of a chair to the color of a ceramic plate, waiting for the next visitor to sit down, take it all in, and become part of the story.
