LENA in Marbella, Spain by Astet Studio

Article source: Astet Studio

This new culinary space, designed by the Astet studio for the Dani García Group, treasures the essence of the primitive, of fire, of embers and of primary materials such as stone and wood, which are not only elements of the interior design project, but are also the basis for the preparation of the gastronomic proposal.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

• Architects: Astet Studio
• Project: LENA
• Location: Marbella, Spain
• Photography: Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Leña is a steakhouse where meat is the central focus and where different ways to cook it, whether smoked or grilled, give the flavor and also the design concept for this space. Firewood, its textures, its rings marked by time and its organic relief, creates the ideology of this project. The use of this material and its origin, the trunk, creates a completely different environment and a multisensory experience.

An intense jet black is present in the space and dominates the color palette, it covers everything, walls, ceilings, floors and even the furniture. Nuances are created by unfolding a palette that is brightened or quenched as needed. Textures and contrasts allow us to see the immensity of variables that black has in Firewood. This tone emerges as a testimony of burned, charred wood using the Japanese Yakisugi technique.

The Japanese country also serves as a reference for Leña’s star dish, Wagyu beef. Black is the best background to highlight the colors of meat and restaurant dishes.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Nature is present throughout the space. Its organic lines shape the elements within the spaces of the restaurant. This organicity is exposed in the ceiling, which poses great importance throughout the space. Sinuous lines, extruded at different heights, in stained ash wood, resembles the rings of a cut log and is also the light sculpture that covers the entire restaurant. The dim light creates the feeling that each ring is on fire and reminds us that fire is latent in the kitchen and in the environment. Shadow is an element that defines the volumes and arouses curiosity within the different corners of the interior.

Turning back to earth and its raw textures, is another resource that creates an interesting dialogue within the interior. The rocks that are used to generate fire are also prominent elements in the ambience; two suspended volumes emerging and creating a counterpoint within the dark backdrop.

Upon entering the restaurant, you realize that Leña is something different, its façade with its black circular metallic forms resembles the shape of rings found in chopped firewood. The transparent glass alternates with another type of glass that was exclusively designed by the studio for Leña, with an amber tone and a pyramidal texture, which creates a visual filter and interesting optical effects. The outdoor terrace floor is created with wooden studs placed apart from each other by lines of black gravel. During the summer, the facade carpentry unfolds to unify interior and exterior in one single space.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Once past the entrance door, an opaque, curved and wooden lobby welcomes us to the new culinary experience. Both the ceiling and the floor of this small area experiment with the textures, refining the primitivism of fire and wood.

This opacity at the entrance also enhances the surprise effect when discovering what lies behind it.

The interior space is distributed in an open floor plan, each seating group has a unique ambience, that caters to different moods, showing different nuances, colors and textures.

The first space is the whiskey bar, the bar is a five-meter wooden truck punched with linear mirror stripes, which creates an infinite perception of cuts. The bar top is a veined black tropical stone that gives character to this element.

The back-bar area, which also doubles as a room divider, has a cascade display of the different varieties of national and international whiskies. This structure of textured wood and brass creates an almost sculptural element for the exposition of whiskey bottles. A suspended brass bar canopy that also functions as a pendant light hangs over the bar and nicely contrasts with the dark tones of the bar. The large skylight provides natural lighting to the space and unites this space with luminosity to the outdoor terrace.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Two curved wooden geometries frame the reception area, where a sculpted piece forms the reception desk. Its volumetric texture suggests a play of shadows that enrich its form and emphasizes its elegance. Its sandstone color contrasts with the black tone of the floor and ceiling and extends the dialogue between the entrance area and the area of the toilets and the cellar within which the sandstone color reappears.

The monumental ceiling guides us through the organic volumes that forms sculptural seating areas. Two large benches create the seating in this area; the first one, on one side of the interior, is a continuous allblack serpentine bench that emerges out of a backlit smoke background that creates an ethereal effect on one side of the restaurant. The second; a central organic volume with double curvature that curves both in plan and elevation composing unique micro-spaces where you can sit and enjoy the restaurant’s dishes.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

This central sculptural bench is made up of two compositions; a long one and two smaller ones on both ends of the bench. A structure of burned wooden slats fuses, on one hand, with the vertical black leather stitching of the longitudinal side of the bench, and contrasts on the other hand the vertical dark amber tone on the curved sides of the bench on both ends. An embedded planter mixes plants and tree trunks invites nature to the center of the bench.

An extruded brass profile enhances the natural shape of the bench and reminds us of the sophistication of the curved ceiling. Armchairs designed by Astet, create chromatic uniformity with the benches and maintain a palette of amber and orange tones that continue to remind us of the hues of fire. Chairs with a light structure and black leather alternate with the heavier arm chairs to give balance to the different seating compositions. Tables with sculptural legs, also designed by the studio, takes the concept of functional sculptures yet further. Large stone rugs alternate on the floor to intensify the contrast with the black Zimbabwe granit.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

The richness of brass and its polished surface contrasts with the arid texture of the rock that contains the sink. After crossing the glass partition wall, we enter a longitudinal vaulted space, in cream and brass tones with dynamic pivoting mirrors which transport us to a completely different space where pyramidal forms draw the walls and doors for the toilet cabins. The bright, clear and polished contrast leads us to a dark industrial space toilet cabin interior. Artistic photographs of cattle remind us that this space is to enjoy meat.

The spectacle of the fire flares up in the kitchen. As if it were a theater, the kitchen area opens onto the restaurant through a sleek brass skin that slides into the large volcanic stone that makes up the grill area. The anthracite customized ceramic tiles give texture to the kitchen walls and intensifies the play of fire. The theatrical lighting shows the different areas of the kitchen, as if they were different acts of a play. Next to the open kitchen there is another organic bench that creates different seating arrangements. Dividing the bench area are vertical totems in black-carved wood and mirrors that function as service furniture, displays and sculptural elements. The skirting of the bench extends to encircle the base of one of the totems and unifies the two.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Vegetation and lights, custom-designed by the studio, in alabaster and brass give this space a sophisticated character that is strengthened by a brass service cabinet that shines like a jewel in the other end of the space. The wine cellar; a glass enclosure made from black steel and brass, houses the restaurant’s collection of more than 1,000 bottles.

The cream tone reappears, this time with wood, adding a note of clarity to the surrounding darker spaces. This space, which contains different acclimatized areas for red, white and sparkling wines, communicate with the other restaurant of the group, Bibo, creating an infinite corridor through the play of mirrors to enchant wine lovers.

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Salva Lopez

Image Courtesy © Astet Studio

Tags: Marbella, Spain

Categories: Interiors, Restaurant

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