The Seen restaurant & bar project on the top floor of Edifício Tivoli Mofarrej in São Paulo, Brazil was to create a restaurant offering a contemporary cuisine and taking advantage of the all-round view and open space.
The inspiration was the 1980s revisited (the hotel was opened during this decade), with Art Déco touches. The solution was use materials of that time (brass, oxidized mirrors, velvet, and slate) but without sacrificing the characteristics of a contemporary project.
A large central bar is at the highest level, and the counter is entirely made of curved brass pipes, with a white marble top. Three vintage Sputnik chandeliers light the drinks island in the center.
A herring-bone slate floor leads from the entrance to the bar and continues up some of the walls. The existing concrete columns remain visible, and have been fitted with brass moldings, oxidized mirrors and sconces structured in brass and custom made. Green velvet sofas have been placed on the lower part, with views through the broad windows which frame the skyline and surround the entire dining-room.
As a contrast with the elegance of the velvet and the brass, the utility pipes and air conditioning have been left visible, affording an industrial reference. The lighting, using scenic projectors, is all focused down towards the floor, so that the outside view can be enjoyed without reflections of the restaurant in the window.
A large collective washbasin in marble, with copper taps suspended above it, adorns the anteroom to the men’s and women’s restrooms. The dividing walls are of iron, partly covered with oxidized mirrors, which adds to the scenic effect.
This is a project that contrasts the sophisticated and the industrial, and it is sure to give diners something interesting to look at in addition to the magnificent view.