Design-conscious roadside restaurants are a rare species within the increasingly prestigious restaurant world. Structures of this type have evolved in order to offer services for large-format events without this having involved anything more than a change in scale. Langarita-Navarro architects made an effort to change this and offer us their unique vision for Lolita, a restaurant in Zaragoza, Spain.
The architects built a structure capable of managing a programme subject to constant reorganisation. The presence of a heterogeneous public and the expectation of diverse uses needs a flexible space capable of setting itself up as a scenario for almost any type of activity. The aim was to transform a roadside restaurant into a versatile infrastructure for events and meals. And they succeeded while giving us an interesting building architecturally as well.
The layout consists of a continuous space of irregular geometry that is marked by patios where flexible lighting and the grouping of furniture help organising the space in different ways. The façade is designed like a double strip of glass n different opacity, creating an interesting interaction between the interior and the exterior of the building, while leaving the vistas open for the clients. The transparency of the materials makes the interiors look light and airy.
The interiors use a patterned/semi-perforated concrete slab, combined with wood, glass and polycarbonate for the walls. The “boxes” that make up the building are made of 8m long alveolar panels and brick walls. The large surfaces created from this combination are used on the exterior for signage, in contrast with the large glass surfaces that remain spotless.