O Asiático Restaurant

The present work is about transforming an old fine arts shop called “Casa Varela” into a restaurant. The proposal consisted in taking advantage of the existing building and patio. The primary public access to the “Asiático” is by the main dining room, on the ground floor, which extends to the patio in the form of a covered terrace first and an uncovered terrace afterwards. The terrace covered area has a light and transparent roof with an opening for a tree right in the centre of this semi-exterior space.

On the first floor there is a bar and a lounge space mezzanine-like, which opens onto the lower room through a hollow space. The kitchens are on the ground floor, leaning against the limiting wall. From the main façade to the interior, there is the food preparation kitchen, followed by the "hot" kitchen and finally the "cold" kitchen.

Fact:
Architect name: João Tiago Aguiar, arquitectos
Project location: Lisbon, Portugal
Completion Year: 2017
Construction Area: 470m2
Project team: Rúben Mateus, Susana Luis, João Nery Morais, André
Silva, Maria Sousa Otto, Rita Lemos, Alexandra Tavares.
Client: Private
Interior Decoration: António Martins
Engineering: OMF
Builder: Flores & Gomes
Photograph credits: FG+SG – Architecture Photograph
Photographer´s website: www.ultimasreportagens.com
Brands / Products
1. Paints- CIN
2. Sanitary Equipment &Taps- PADIMAT
3. Electric Hardware- JUNG
4. Carpentry & Kitchen- WOOD TEAM
5. Lighting- JOANA FORJAZ LIGHTING DESIGN
6. 3D Handmade Ceramic Tiles- SANTO BANHO
7. Kitchen- FN HOTELARIA
8. Metalworks- GABRIEL’S STEEL WORKS
9. Hydraulic Mosaic-KOKLATT

Both these kitchens are open to the main dining room. The dirty scullery is in the transition between kitchens which articulates with the principal room by a small opening. Regarding the main storage areas, these are on the first floor. Two circuits have been created, one for customers and another for employees.

The public accesses the restaurant by the main entrance, which leads to a hall. At this point, there is a main staircase to access the bar on the first floor and a corridor with access to the ground floor dining room. The employees enter in the restaurant through a service entrance.

From this here, there is a staircase that will give access to the first floor, directly to the employees&changing rooms area. The main façade has been completely restored with its design remaining unchanged. The existing window and door frames, belonging to the old fine arts store, were replaced for new frames in black lacquered aluminium.