Interior Design Challenge

Located in the center of Porto, in a historic 19th-century building, Elemento is a restaurant with an open kitchen, where cooking is done exclusively with fire. In 2018, Chef Ricardo Dias Ferreira challenged our studio to create a restaurant with an open kitchen, featuring a traditional wood-fired oven and an area for cooking with charcoal. The goal was to allow diners to follow the entire meal preparation process, from cooking to plating. 

Development of Architectural Projects for Restaurants
The initial challenge was to define the characteristics of the space on the ground floor of a 5-story building. The proportions of 4.8m by 41m were not ideal for the technical circulation areas of an open kitchen. Therefore, the solution involved creating a design that positioned the kitchen at the heart of the restaurant, while preserving the building’s historic features. The proposal involved designing a structure along the left wall of the building to house the entire technical program.

Design of Open Kitchen Spaces
Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing you encounter is a marble block with flames and a pile of wooden logs. This pile of wood marks the beginning of the structure along the left wall of the building, which contains the entire technical program. It is the heart of the restaurant — a wall that expands, creating space for the kitchen, bar, wine cellar, and all necessary technical areas for the restaurant’s operations.

Preservation and Renovation of Historic Buildings
Given that the restaurant is situated in a historic building, we decided to preserve the original paired stone walls, creating a contrast between the roughness of the existing wall and the finer finish of the new wall. This approach reflects our experience in the renovation and preservation of heritage sites, aligning with best practices in architectural projects for luxury homes and commercial spaces.

Materials and Architectural Aesthetics
This curved structure expands into the kitchen area, nearly the entire width of the building, leaving only enough space for passage to the dining room.

Upon entering, you encounter the waiting room and a small bar. As you move further into the building, the wall expands and opens up to expose the kitchen, which consists of a brick wood-fired oven and a countertop for embers and smoking. In this area, diners can sit at the counter and observe the preparation of all meals. Beyond the kitchen and counter area lies a more traditional dining room, adjacent to the wine cellar, which is open to the dining room through an arcade.

The choice of materials reflects the project’s simple aesthetic language, with highlights including concrete flooring, textured plaster walls, wood, masonry walls, and the contrast with Estremoz marble. These elements establish a connection between the primal nature of the materials and the delicacy of the food.

For more details about this project, or to schedule a visit, please contact us.