La Piazza, Hyatt Regency Delhi — The Vault Arched Metal Gate

By Yash Khullar, Operations Lead, Delhi Brass · Technically reviewed by Vikram Khullar

As seen at · La Piazza, Hyatt Regency Delhi
The Vault stands at the entrance to La Piazza, the Italian restaurant at Hyatt Regency Delhi.

Project: The Vault — entrance gate for La Piazza, Hyatt Regency Delhi
Completed: 2003
Scope: design, fabrication, finishing and installation of a bespoke arched entrance gate
Materials and finishes: mild steel (MS) with brass studs and detailing; hand-textured, dark patinated finish with warm brass accents
Size: two arched leaves, approximately 7 ft wide overall (3.5 ft + 3.5 ft), 10 ft high at the centre of the arch and 9 ft at the outer edges

Some pieces you read about; this one you can walk up to. The Vault is an arched, double-leaf entrance gate in mild steel and brass that Delhi Brass designed, made and installed in 2003 at the entrance to La Piazza, the Italian restaurant at Hyatt Regency Delhi. More than two decades later it is still in daily use, still catching the light on its brass studs — a working example of how a well-made arched gate design in the right materials ages. This is the story of how it was drawn, finished and fitted, and why it still looks the way it does 23 years on.

The Vault at a glance

• Type: arched double-leaf entrance gate (two swinging leaves)
• Material: mild steel frame and lattice with brass studs and detailing
• Overall width: ~7 ft — two 3.5 ft leaves meeting at a central stile
• Height: 10 ft at the crown of the arch, 9 ft at the outer edges
• Finish: hand-textured mild steel in a dark patinated tone, warm brass accents
• Made / installed: 2003 — still in place in 2026

An arched gate drawn for a stone archway

The brief began with the opening. La Piazza’s entrance sits under a shallow segmental stone arch, so the gate had to follow that curve rather than fight it. The Vault was drawn as two symmetrical leaves that rise to meet the arch: 10 ft at the centre and stepping down to 9 ft at the edges, so the top rail traces the stonework above it. Across roughly 7 ft of opening, that curved top line is what makes the gate feel built for the doorway and not simply hung in it.

Within the frame, the design layers three ideas: an open lattice of square mild steel bars for transparency into the restaurant, a crown of hand-forged scrollwork in the arched heads, and a rhythm of brass studs and circular medallions that carry the eye across both leaves. The result reads as classical and solid, yet you can still see straight through it into the warm room beyond.

Why mild steel and brass

The Vault is built in mild steel with brass, and that pairing is deliberate. Mild steel (MS) is strong, weldable and forgiving to forge, which makes it the right structural choice for a tall gate that has to stay rigid across a 3.5 ft leaf and swing true for decades. Brass does the warm work: as studs, bosses and detailing it brings a golden note against the dark steel, and it wears beautifully, taking on a soft lustre rather than looking tired.

For a sheltered interior entrance like La Piazza’s, an MS-and-brass gate is close to ideal. It has the presence and heft of a heritage iron gate, the design freedom of forged and fabricated steel, and — with the right finish — the longevity the last 23 years have proven. It is the same material logic we bring to gates and railings today.

The details that carry it

Up close, the gate is a catalogue of hand-work. Rows of domed brass studs run along every major rail, catching light the way rivets do on old ironwork. In the middle band of each leaf sit bold wheel-and-cross medallions — circles quartered by a cross and centred with a brass boss — the motif that gives The Vault its name and its faintly fortified character. Between the bands, a delicate forged frieze of drooping fleur shapes softens the geometry of the lattice.

Finish and fabrication

The steel was worked to a lightly hammered, hand-textured surface — you can see the planished facets on the flat bars — then finished in a dark, patinated tone that reads almost like antique iron. The brass was left to its warm colour and sealed. Every stud, medallion and scroll was fixed and finished by hand, and the two leaves were balanced so they hang and close cleanly on heavy hinges, meeting at a central stile with a forged handle. This is the same in-house discipline — forging, fabrication and finishing under one roof — that our directors still sign off on today.

Installed at the entrance — and still there

The finished gate was installed on a raised tiled landing beneath the stone arch, framed by the restaurant’s plastered reveals and flanking planters. Fitting a heavy twin-leaf gate into an existing masonry arch is its own exercise: the hinges must carry the weight without sag, the leaves must meet precisely at the centre, and the curved top has to sit true against the stone. Two decades of guests walking through it is the test it keeps passing.

Twenty-three years on

Completed in 2003, The Vault has stood at La Piazza’s entrance for 23 years — and it still stops people on the steps. The steel is sound, the finish intact, the brass warm. You don’t have to take our word for it: anyone can visit Hyatt Regency Delhi, walk up to La Piazza and see how a Delhi Brass piece stands the test of time. For us, a gate that still looks this good after two decades of daily use is the most honest proof of workmanship we can point to.

Frequently asked questions

What is an arched gate design?

An arched gate has a curved top rail that follows an arch rather than a flat, straight line. On The Vault the two leaves rise from 9 ft at the edges to 10 ft at the centre so the gate follows the stone archway above it.

Is a mild steel gate with brass durable?

Yes. Mild steel gives the strength and rigidity a large gate needs, while brass detailing adds warmth and ages gracefully. With proper finishing and a sheltered setting, the combination lasts for decades — The Vault has been in daily use since 2003.

Where can I see The Vault?

It is installed at the entrance to La Piazza, the Italian restaurant at Hyatt Regency Delhi, Bhikaji Cama Place. Anyone visiting the hotel can see it in place.

Can Delhi Brass make a custom arched gate like this?

Yes. The Vault was made to order for a specific opening, and we design and fabricate bespoke gates in mild steel, brass and iron to suit your entrance. Share your opening size and a reference and we’ll take it from there.

Planning a gate like The Vault? Message our workshop on WhatsApp to discuss a bespoke arched gate. Architects and designers can work with us through the Trade Program; homeowners can start a piece via Custom Orders. See The Vault in the catalogue: The Vault gate, and browse more gates.