Aiming to establish an innovative restaurant of mexican and californian street-food, the owners desired as well to combine the street-food kiosk concept with a typical restaurant.
The street-food restaurant is located on the ground level of a corner building. The open, narrow, long and angular floor plan includes a double-height main area and a patio.
The aim was to combine the two concepts in a functional and interesting mode in order to create a cohesive unit. Along with that, the approach was to create a space of simple and clear identity avoiding the clichéd and ethnic appearance of similar spaces.
The open-plan double-height area appears as the ideal space for accomodating the constant flow of people (entrance, movement, waiting, standing) encountered in the street-food concept area. The restaurant area, perceived as a private and lounge area, was placed in the patio (converted during the summer into an open-air space).
Pure geometry and rough materials (grey shade wall-surfaces, stucco cement flooring, visible electromechanical networks, metal framed panels) are used for creating the street-food concept area, reflecting the fast and casual street-food consumption. In the patio, warm and colourful materials (colourful cement tiles, wooden elements, warm lighting) were chosen for highlighting the private and lounge area along with the ethnic identity.
With a minimalist intension, decoration is achieved mainly with architectural and graphic design elements (cement tiles, ceramic pendant lights, printed plywood panel, laser-cut panel, neon sign). Bespoke furniture and lighting ideally furnish both areas.