PAULINA ESCANES GOURMANDIZE

LOCATION : San Juan, Puerto Rico

PROJECT AREA : 1,250 ft²

PROJECT YEAR : 2018

Paulina Escanes, a celebrated local chef, approached us to design the interiors of her new restaurant located on the ground level arcade of an otherwise unmemorable multi-level parking garage in San Juan.

The brief called for 50 seats with a generous bar, kitchen and storage areas in a small and fragmented 1400 SF space with a very limited budget.

Our design responds to the simple and gracious elegance of our client, where quality, freshness and clarity are highly valued.  To make the most of the limited area, we divided the space into three zones. The bar and dining space sit within one open space that allows for easy visual contact from all corners. A semi-open kitchen follows while the service and storage areas are tucked away in an appendix like strip of space.  A wooden “pergola” made of 3 x 6 treated pine boards hung from a steel frame unifies the space and hides ductwork, sprinklers, electrical piping, acoustical treatment and the sloped parking garage slab above. Floors are encaustic cement tile, a bluish gray statuario marble slab covers the bar.