Compartir Restaurant, Bringing the Artsy Spirit of Dali’s Town

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The chefs of Compartir aimed to bring the essence of the Mediterranean town of Cadaques, home of their first restaurant, to their new gastronomic concept in Barcelona. Slate roads, blue windows to the Sea, vessels rocking on the bay, and wicker craftsmanship invading its streets are part of the artsy spirit of Dali’s town. El Equipo Creativo’s design aims to recreate this picturesque spirit, but is reinterpreted from a contemporary urban perspective.

Spatial and design solutions
The restaurant is located in a classic venue in the Eixample District, with a spectacular steel structure dated from the beginning of the past century. It is a space where one can envision an art gallery with large abstract paintings, which is so common in this neighbourhood.

And so it is that the designers imagined the design: an ample white space presided by three blue abstract “windows” towards the Mediterranean Sea: a sculptural, a pictorial, and a textile window. Each of these “windows” became an opportunity to collaborate with a different local artist, with whom custom-made pieces were created for the restaurant.

Functionality
The curved shapes of mirrors and wicker dividers bring a warm counterpoint, converted into lamps of warm light scattered along the space, and bringing privacy to the tables, one of the chef’s priorities. They recreate an abstract landscape of sails and vessels, referencing the bay of Cadaques. Bars and kitchens have simple and bold shapes, and they perform as energy nodes activating the different areas of the restaurant.

Materiality and sustainability
The design process was accompanied by thorough research on traditional and local construction techniques and materials of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, specifically those of Cadaques. Wicker, stucco, ceramic tiles, slate stone, etc., are reinterpreted from a contemporary perspective to use them in new and surprising ways in the design. The objective was to bring warm, light materiality to the spaces, translated into white textured surfaces with a general handmade touch. Different natural materials connect the restaurant with the architectural landscape of Cadaqués. The grey tone of the slate stone and its application in “trencadís” (a traditional Mediterranean technique), together with the natural terracotta tile colour, in contrast with the abstract and intense blue of the windows, creates a powerful set that can be read in almost pictorial terms, and which is intended to dialogue with the stunning compositions of colour and texture of the dishes of Compartir Restaurant.

All materials were locally resourced, and all design elements were locally produced, thus avoiding long transport logistics as a small gesture towards helping the planet. Collaborating with small local brands, construction companies, artists, and artisans was the best option to streamline all processes and to work collaboratively.

Other images can be seen in the gallery down below

Data
Location: C. de Valencia, 225, 08007 Barcelona
Client: Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch y Mateu Casañas, Nil Dulcet
Floor Area: 400 m2

Concept and Interior Design
EL EQUIPO CREATIVO
Partners: Oliver Franz Schmidt + Natali Canas del Pozo + Lucas Echeveste Lacy
Team leaders: Daniel Trujillo, Ricard Fabregat

Design collaborators
Lighting Design: Mmaslighting
Photography: Adria Goula

About EL EQUIPO CREATIVO
EL EQUIPO CREATIVO is a Barcelona-based interior architecture studio specialized in the design of hospitality, gastronomy, and brand spaces. It was founded in 2011 by the architects Oliver Franz Schmidt, Natali Canas del Pozo, and Lucas Echeveste Lacy. The studio shares the idea that spatial design should tell stories and inspire people, all under a solid conceptual approach. They have worked for some of the most prestigious chefs in the world, including those of some Michelin-star restaurants.

The studio’s work is published in hundreds of publications worldwide and has been recognized by more than 70 international design awards, including the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards (considered the “Oscars” of Hospitality Design), the FRAME Awards, awarding the most innovative and conceptual designs in the world, and the BOY Awards by Interior Design Magazine NY.

The studio is recognized for its trajectory and methodology, receiving the Interiors Practice of the Year Award (WIN Awards) and the Firm of the Year (The American Architecture Prize). The design magazine FRAME selected the studio as one of the 20 most influential designers in the world.