Hasta La Ideas

Slideshow: a chandelier made from jam jars hangs from the grilled ceiling of this barbeque restaurant in north east Athens by Greek architects K-studio.

The illuminated jars hang in front of walls patterned with square-cut wooden blocks, which were designed to resemble traditional butcher’s chopping boards.

A selection of mismatched chairs surround wooden tables, while stools line a grey tiled bar.

We’re featured quite a few restaurants recently where furniture is deliberately unmatching – click here to see one where no two items of furniture or crockery are the same.

Photography is by Vangelis Paterakis.

Here’s some more explanation from K-studio:

barQue

barQue sits on the corner of Harilao Trikoupi and Strofiliou in Nea Erythraia.

The cuisine revolves around barbequed meats. This was the starting point for our design and the branding concept.

Barbequing is a social activity, so the design opens up the kitchen and allows the choreography of the chefs to become part of the dining experience, with some diners even sitting along the kitchen worktop to eat.

A steel grille, reminiscent of a barbeque grill, acts as a false ceiling that accentuates the height and gives the space a dark, masculine weight.

A deep frieze of cut pine blocks, arranged as an abstraction of the traditional butchers chopping table, is suspended above the activity allowing continuity between the interior and exterior dining areas.

The glow of the wood-block frieze combines with varied pieces of wooden furniture and a large, glass-jar chandelier to warm the space, balancing soft, crafted and delicate textures with the rough black steel ceiling and the blaze of the grill from the open kitchen.

In collaboration with DGGD the branding completes the atmosphere by borrowing the font from the tool used to brand meat before hanging, to design the restaurant logo. The ‘Taste the Fun’ neon motto reminds everyone that barbequing is a sociable activity and that the preparation, grilling and eating of good quality meat should be celebrated.

Name: barQue
Location: Nea Erythraia, Athens
Designed By: k-studio
Branding: DGGD, k-studio
Lighting: Halo
Status: Completed 2011