Although new restaurants seem to pop up everyday, and a bit everywhere, the stories behind each project are rarely told.
The people behind those stories, and the craft which layers and makes up every object and corner, are usually relegated to a few thank you notes at the end of lengthy technical descriptions.
This project, and the incredible story, and journey, behind it, deserves centre stage. What started as an idea, and enormous challenge, to create something unique and singular, and intricately bound to the local community, became a wonderful example of team work and careful investigation into what local craftsmen could add up to build something that lasts in a land usually associated with sea, sun and sand, and very little else (although those three are extraordinary).
Our clients - a talented couple who traded their busy life in London to explore notions of slowness, craft and sustainability - gave us a clear briefing: to develop a unique dining experience by creating a design theme which was anything but typical, but which immediately set the tone, and texture, of a different Algarve.
The South of Portugal is full of incredible hotels and restaurants that cater for an international clientele, but lacks spaces which tell of the centuries old traditions of intricate craft and texture which are now given a twist. Our Studio is known for its innovative approach which gracefully blends tradition with contemporary functionality.
AUSTA, completed this year and already a beehive of creativity in the region, is a celebration of the Algarve’s heritage, craftsmanship, and natural beauty. This harmonious fusion of traditional and vernacular influences with modern functionality
- in line with our clients’ vision and their clear stance on being sustainable and moving forward - invites visitors to experience welcoming and comfortable spaces rooted in a healthy and sustainable ethos.
When was the last time you actually took a seat to be surprised, and left wondering what else was hidden under the layers of a region which defies time and trends?
Upon initiating the design process, we have carried out a context analysis to understand the qualities of the local craftsmanship, the existing natural resources and traditions. This project is located near Loulé, part of the Algarve region, which is the southern part of Portugal. With a unique coast line, it is famous for its beautiful multi-tone cliffs, beaches and warm climate.
During many field trips to the region, many sit downs and long talks with local craftsmen over strong coffee, we found out that this particular area of the Algarve boasts a bunch of terracotta tiles factories which produce and export beautiful tiles made from local clay.
While visiting the factories we got inspired by the way they stacked the clay tiles inside the kiln, perpendicularly so that the heat can distribute equally across them as they are fired in grand yet rustic kilns.
The floor here is made up of individually cut stone ‘keys”, stacked horizontally instead of vertically, this time in both softly hues moleanos and deep indigo ruvina.
This is a pattern which fragments in typical Studio Gameiro style across other elements of the space, and out into the terrace to draw parallels between inside and outside. This contradiction of sorts is what made the project, and journey, so unique. A blend of process and practice, and tryouts, which perfectly balance a dialogue between thought and tact.
At the core of our design philosophy is the use of textures and colours derived from rich, natural materials. Soft lime stucco in clay hues adorns the walls and ceilings, paying homage to the Algarve’s pottery traditions. Beyond aesthetics, lime’s air-purifying properties enhance the restaurant’s ambiance.
In addition and extension to our constant craving for consistency and surprise, we added the design of custom made furniture to fill the restaurant, meticulously crafted to reflect the natural beauty of the Algarve coast, its geological wonders, the timeless ocean, and local craftsmanship. These bespoke pieces showcase our aim to translate natural beauty into functional art.
The tailor made furniture, including tables and stools, pays tribute to the windswept and burly Atlantic, and to the region’s skilled craftsmanship. Local artisans, whose hands move between salt and sand, have crafted these unique pieces, infusing the restaurant with authenticity and a deep connection to their roots and memories.
During our several expeditions to find local influences and hindsights, we learnt that right underneath our feet, in Loulé, there was a rock salt mine, 230m deep into the Earth, with 230 million years old salt. We had to do something with this incredible material and convinced the Loulé mine to collaborate with us to transform some of their leftover pieces into building blocks. These blocks were carved in the same dimensions of the terracotta tiles and arranged in a specific manner, extending the formal reference of the geometry patterns found in the local terracotta kilns. Form to function. Or the other way around.
The central bar at Austa features moleanos stone blocks intricately carved to replicate patterns found on some cavern walls post- salt extraction. This design acknowledges the region’s mining heritage, and mirrors the undulating dune systems along the nearby coastline. The choice for moleanos stone aims to follow the light hues of the space, making this Portuguese sedimentary stone, with seashell fossils in its composition, stand out, while also enhancing the reference to the sea which permeates the space.
Extending our obsession with the geometric patterns derived from the firing kilns, we also applied these in bespoke designed fixed equipment and furniture, such as the bathrooms sinks. Using the exact same dimensions of the terracotta tiles, we designed and produced ruivina and moleanos stone pieces, which would be stacked alike the clay tiles in the kilns. The use of ruivina stone, also Portuguese, pays homage and reference to the beautiful colours and textures of the Atlantic Ocean.
Double whammy, one might say.
The contrasting colours of our favourite geometric pattern takes over the concepts for the stools and tables, and adds rhythm and playfulness with the 3-element tables, chairs and stools. A twist which permeates a collection of furniture which reflects both the initial sketch and idea, and the process to make it happen.
During our research on the local artistry and craftsmanship, we learnt that since the Roman period, from the 1st to the 4th Century, copper, gold and silver was being extracted in the south of the Alentejo and in some regions of the Algarve. The craft of working with copper was then developed and perfected during the Arab period. Today, those techniques are still being applied daily, and after visiting the ‘caldeireiros’ (coppersmith crafters) with the creative association ‘Loulé Criativo’, we knew we also had to do something in copper, celebrating heritage and memory, but also expertise. We were inspired by the art of making copper saucepans (named cataplana), while hammering the copper plates, as these shapes resemble seashells. With that in mind, we designed a 9 piece series of copper light pendants to create a moody light feature above the long table setting.
