Pakta, or how to create a suggestive space.

In the Quechua language of Peru, “pakta” means union which forms the basis for the interior design of this restaurant that blends two cultures – Japanese and Peruvian – to create a colourful, comfortable environment, by Spanish architecture firm, El Equipo Creativo.



Basic elements with clear references to the sleek, essential lines that typify Japanese design are combined with the bright colours of the Peruvian weaving looms, creating the visual framework for this experience of gastronomic “fusion” in Barcelona.





The architects from El Equipo Creativo offer a visual concept for the Pakta restaurant that draws its strength from the apparent contrast between Japanese austerity and the traditionally explosive colours of Peruvian cloth. They also manage to maximise the existing space, an arduous task given its long, narrow shape. The restaurant is divided into three spaces, with the sequence ending at the kitchen – a kind of luminous box where guests can see the cooks working.



Nature is very important in both these cultures, united under the same roof, so Oliver Franz Schmidt and Natali Canas del Pozo decided to leave whatever imperfections there were in the materials used – American oak and Novelda marble for the sushi bar – leaving them with a rustic, unpolished appearance.





This roughness is offset by the textile envelopes through the whole space, which create that pleasant feeling of being protected inside a cocoon like a silkworm, ready to break out for a serene convivial moment.

Project: El Equipo Creativo http://www.elequipocreativo.com
Location: Barcellona, Spain
Year: 2013
Photos: Adrià Goula http://www.adriagoula.com