Casa Baruk Restaurant

Café / Restaurant of the Year

Longlisted

Leila Viegas

• Architects

Upon crossing the entrance of Casa Baruk in Higienópolis, São Paulo, the architecture reveals a dialogue between traditions. The spatial sequence guides visitors through an immersive experience, where the perception of the space expands almost tangibly, resonating even in the flavors that reach the table.

The new venture is part of the Baruk, a group of restaurants founded by Gustavo and Denise Batistel, who have been active in São Paulo’s culinary scene for over a decade, specializing in Arab cuisine, with established locations in neighborhoods such as Vila Olímpia and Itaim Bibi. For this location, the architecture establishes a direct connection with the restaurant’s gastronomic concept, translating the references that shape the brand’s identity into spatial form.

This restaurant marks a moment of expansion for the group, traditionally associated with the Arab-style buffet format, now presenting a menu that incorporates Mediterranean influences alongside original creations. To shape this new identity — balancing tradition and contemporaneity — the project was entrusted to Memola Estúdio. The process required that initial discussions between clients and architects transcend purely functional considerations: the architecture needed to materialize values and symbolism, articulating elements, light, and materials in a way that precisely reflects the culinary and aesthetic aspirations of the restaurant.

photo_credit Leila Viegas — Leila Viegas

To realize this vision, the duo acquired two residential properties on Mato Grosso Street, previously occupied by commercial establishments. Each building, defined by an anonymous architectural style, exhibited unique characteristics that piqued interest from the very first visits. Initially, the plan was to preserve the original structures, with interventions that could accommodate the restaurant’s program — from dining areas to support spaces — without compromising technical requirements, municipal regulations, or legal standards.

Early studies considered openings between the adjoining houses, solutions for leveling floor heights, and adapting layouts to the existing structural grid. However, it became clear that to meet technical demands and spatial functionality with precision, the structure needed a more comprehensive redesign. The careful demolition of the existing buildings made way for a new volume, conceived from the earliest sketches to integrate circulation, thermal and visual comfort, structural performance, and all programmatic needs cohesively.

To span large areas and free up structural supports in the central hall — shifting vertical elements to the edges of the site — the building constructed with a steel frame. This solution enabled continuous layouts across three floors, precisely supporting spatial zoning, while accelerating construction, without compromising performance or quality.

The ground floor houses the main dining hall, kitchen, storage areas, and service access — including a dedicated delivery route — organized to optimize both the customer experience and operational flows. The first floor, accessed via a mezzanine illuminated by natural light filtering through shed roofs, accommodates support areas for the dining room, staff service zones, and operational spaces. The second floor contains offices, meeting rooms, and storage, discreetly separating administrative functions from public and service areas. This distribution reinforces coherence between program, operation, and spatial experience on each level.

Conceptually, one of Memola Estúdio’s main challenges was to translate a genuinely Arab experience into architecture without resorting to purely decorative solutions. Technical visits to the group’s previous units, located in contemporary buildings with occasional Arab ornamentation, revealed the absence of a consistent spatial identity for this service format. This observation motivated the team to deepen their research and conceptual development.

The guiding question was clear: how to design an Arab cuisine restaurant in Brazil, incorporating cultural references without compromising the authenticity of the space? To answer it, the team studied the historical assimilation of Arab-derived architectural elements and strategies in Brazilian architecture, identifying constructive solutions that had been incorporated and reinterpreted over time.

Mashrabiya, rótulas, and gelosias — introduced in Brazil by Portuguese colonial architecture — already formed part of local building traditions, responding to climate, light, and ventilation. Added to this legacy were internal courtyards, conceived as spaces for social interaction and natural lighting, and the widespread use of tiles, whose etymology traces back to Arabic and whose presence in Brazil was consolidated through Iberian tradition. By understanding these historical layers, the project did not rely on ornamental repertoires, but recognized heritage as a set of constructive solutions reinterpreted from a contemporary perspective.

This concept is first expressed in the façade. On the upper portion, a composition of ceramic elements forms a perforated screen that reinterprets traditional Mashrabiya (an wooden lattice, a traditional element of Arab and Islamic architecture), functioning as a filter that ensures privacy from the street while allowing partial views of the exterior. Behind this layer, a secondary frame of window casings contributes to thermal and acoustic comfort within the main hall.

On the lower portion, blue-painted iron window casings, custom-designed for the project, alternate with clear and textured glass, modulating transparency and light filtration. The exposed steel structure, painted in a terracotta tone close to that of the ceramics, defines the building’s architectural framework and establishes chromatic continuity with the stone pavement.

Inside, the main hall is organized into two distinct areas. The front, more open and expansive, is illuminated by natural light passing through the façade and shed roofs, with a double-height ceiling enhancing spatial perception. The rear area, under the mezzanine, is more intimate. Although connected, the two spaces maintain distinct identities, emphasized by variations in floor patterns and the central placement of the bar.

From the entrance, ceramic flooring extends along the walls, evoking tile-making traditions through geometric compositions. Rather than figurative motifs, solid-colored tiles create graphic patterns defining the space, reinterpreting traditional Mediterranean courtyard patterns in a contemporary way. In the main hall, eight rectangular terracotta tiles are arranged around small-interlaced green tiles, forming a continuous design that spans the length of the space. The rear area features square tiles in a more traditional layout, maintaining chromatic coherence. The overall design unites tradition and innovation in a single architectural gesture.

To reinforce continuity with the floor, the ground-floor walls are clad in green ceramic tiles that match, covering the lower half. Above, a white band provides contrast, separated by a wooden chair rail that defines the transition between finishes. The upper portion features concrete blocks arranged in a graphic pattern: three square blocks alternate with one rotated block, revealing its lateral section. This modulation creates vertical reliefs and a repeating visual rhythm along the steel columns. Shell-shaped wall sconces provide indirect lighting, ensuring visual comfort at night.

On the upper portion corresponding to the second floor, in continuity with the double-height ceiling, the walls are painted off-white, reflecting natural light entering through roof and façade openings. The back wall of the hall, beneath the mezzanine, is fully clad in green ceramics, serving as a backdrop for artwork and reinforcing the space’s chromatic and material articulation.

The project follows a rigorous logic of modulation and meticulous attention to detail, hallmarks of Memola Estúdio. From laying masonry blocks to integrating steel structures, from precise tile arrangements to final trims, each element was carefully calibrated for proportion, alignment, and pattern. Constructive rigor and artisanal excellence ensure visual coherence.

The bar, the central element of the space, functions as the heart of the restaurant, organizing and defining the main hall. With rounded corners, it softens edges and directs circulation. The masonry base is clad in ceramic tiles with a gold brass trim, while the countertop and woodwork feature rounded edges, complemented by indirect lighting. A small integrated display showcases fresh fruits for cocktail preparation.

Above, a blue iron display cabinet, designed as a portico, wraps around the bar, exhibiting the beverage collection and establishing dialogue with the metallic façade elements. The ceiling above follows the bar’s projection, reinforcing the focal point.

The furniture includes turned wood chairs, white Paraná marble tables with corten-painted iron bases, and other wooden tables to accommodate varying group sizes. Larger round tables rest on white-tiled bases, reinforcing the project’s artisanal character. Near the entrance, a continuous sofa wraps the space, with a green-tiled masonry base and caramel leather upholstery. A planter by the façade enhances visual privacy. In the rear, more secluded area, the sofa continues, maintaining aesthetic coherence.

Lighting was also carefully studied. To avoid literal references, the studio designed custom luminaires that reinterpret Arab motifs in a contemporary language, produced in fabrics of various colors and sizes. These pieces interact with natural light, creating a balanced atmosphere.

Access to the mezzanine is via a staircase with terracotta ceramic treads, while the lateral faces feature tiles rotated 45 degrees and cut into triangular sections, creating a three-dimensional effect enhanced by the light. The blue iron railing maintains consistency with other interior elements. On the mezzanine, materials and concepts from the lower floor are repeated, offering additional seating and partial views of the exterior through the façade panels. Despite the separation provided by the double-height ceiling, visual connection with the main hall remains constant.

In the infrastructure, conduits, piping, and electrical elements are deliberately left exposed, integrating with the architectural reading. Bathrooms follow the same design rigor, with blue and green tiles, subtle tonal variations creating graphic panels, wooden chair rails, vintage mirrors, and concrete sinks.

With an approximate capacity of 130 seats across the ground floor and mezzanine, Casa Baruk Restaurant is a project where architecture, culture, and gastronomy coexist seamlessly. A space that acknowledges historical heritage while translating it into a contemporary language, reflecting meticulous attention to detail and constructive rigor, hallmarks of Memola Estúdio.