For the inside of the Portuguese restaurant Austa, Studio Gameiro used an vintage rock salt bench, a carved stone bar and custom aluminum furnishings.
Situated within the city of Almancil, Portugal, the studio was impressed by the craftsmanship of the encircling Algarve area when designing the inside of the Austa restaurant and cafe, which additionally has a procuring pantry.
“The inspiration behind the Austa design was an enchanting journey rooted within the wealthy heritage and craftsmanship of a a lot underrated – and nonetheless unknown – space of Portugal’s Algarve area,” studio founder João Gameiro informed Dezeen.
“It has a rare custom in expertly crafted objects, from ceramics to weaving, iron and copper work and even salt mining, which got here to play a fully central function within the venture.”
Studio Gameiro used tactile supplies for the restaurant, overlaying its partitions with mushy lime stucco in shades of earthy beige and tan.
A lot of the furnishings was custom-built, together with a four-metre-long bench and a group of bespoke plinths comprised of regionally mined rock salt.
“We came upon that proper beneath our toes, in Loulé, there was a salt mine, 230 meters deep within the Earth, with 230 million-year-old salt,” Gameiro stated.
“We needed to do one thing with this unimaginable materials, and we satisfied the Loulé mine to work with us to show a few of their leftover items into constructing blocks, after which ‘tangle’ them collectively to kind a very unique object,” he continued he.
“These blocks have been carved in the identical dimensions of the terracotta slabs utilized in a number of complementary initiatives and organized in a selected method, extending the formal reference of the geometry patterns discovered within the native terracotta kilns.”
The ensuing bench was constructed from 230 geometric blocks product of rock salt, which Gameiro stated are “virtually as sturdy as stone.”
“At its core, the Austa venture not solely carries a narrative of design and craftsmanship, but additionally embraces the power and resilience of supplies deeply rooted within the Algarve’s geological historical past,” stated Gameiro. “Digging to showcase one thing distinctive open air.”
Austa founders Emma and David Campus and Studio Gameiro additionally labored with native artisans to create bespoke furnishings for the shop. This contains picket chairs knowledgeable by Portuguese cafe chairs, in addition to regionally made aluminum chairs.
The stone was used for the principle bar within the restaurant in one other reference to Algarve historical past.
“The central bar options intricately carved moleano stone blocks, a nod to the area’s mining heritage, complementing the area’s gentle hues,” stated Gameiro.
“Customized-designed fixtures, together with toilet vanities, mirror the scale of the terracotta tiles, paying homage to the colours and textures of the ocean.”
Copper and different metals have been chosen for ornamental and sensible equipment.
“Our analysis into native craftsmanship led us to include copper, gold and silver, retracing strategies that date again to the Roman and Arab intervals,” stated Gameiro.
“Impressed by the artwork of constructing copper pots (nonetheless extensively used at this time), a collection of 9 copper gentle pendants has been designed to create a whimsical gentle function, celebrating heritage, reminiscence and experience and serendipity to everybody concerned.”
Austa and Studio Gameiro may even launch a restricted assortment of furnishings designed for the restaurant, which might be obtainable for buy, making it a purchasable inside.
Different notable inside initiatives in Portugal embody an Algarve boutique lodge with interval furnishings and a home with an inside that was knowledgeable by theater areas.