Dialogues

Dialogues

Design or Functionality in a restaurant?

Design or functionality?
Chef Paco Roncero and interior designer María Villalón describe the process of designing a restaurant
• Transmitting the essence of the restaurant to the interior designer and the presence of chemistry between the chef and interior designer is key to achieving the soul of the restaurant in the design (Paco Roncero)
• The lighting and the environment that is achieved with it make up almost 80% of the result. Nowadays the lighting technology allows to light the product well and create several environments in the same space. (María Villalón)
• The latest generation materials that provide great versatility of colours, textures and thickness, as well as long durability, high resistance to thermal shock or scratching contribute both to the aesthetics and functionality of the restoration spaces. (Santiago Alfonso)
Chef Paco Roncero and interior designer María Villalón have debated how a restaurant concept is generated and how it is reflected in the interior design of a restaurant. In a session, held in Cosentino City Madrid. Santiago Alfonso, the Vice President of Marketing and Communication of Cosentino, has explained innovations in last generation surfaces for restoration. The event was moderated by Marta Fernández Guadaño, journalist and founder of Gastroeconomy.
“We try to transmit our essence to the interior designer. We have a first meeting of approach, then we invite him or her to eat so they know how we work and in a third appointment we start to sketch the design “Chef Paco Roncero explained
María Villalón commented: “The aesthetic part is key, but functionality is also very important so that, in addition to being beautiful, the space must be practical to work.” For Paco Roncero, functionality is also an important aspect since many factors must be considered, such as the mobility of the waiters, the type of service, the arrangement of the tables or the temperature of service of the dishes. In this sense, according to the chef, the surfaces that allow working with high temperatures in the kitchen and on the serving-hatch offer much-needed benefits in a restaurant’s kitchen.
For the interior designer, lighting is another very important aspect, both in the technical aspect, to illuminate the product well for diners or in the work areas, as well as in the aesthetic one.
For his part, Santiago Alfonso explained: “In Cosentino we play with different variables for surfaces such as colour, thickness, dimension, and texture. The contribution of the Silestone colour palette and its functionality at the time gave maximum flexibility. As we have been participating in projects, we have been innovating in thickness from 3 cm to 4 mm for vertical coatings today. This versatility and the functional elements of mechanical resistance and thermal shock that the Dekton surface has, are also aspects in which we have collected the experience with Silestone over the years “
Unique and innovative projects: Sublimotion and Mirazur in Residence
Paco Roncero believes that creating a gastronomic restaurant outside Spain is complicated because you cannot get good product and the staff is not prepared, while in Spain it is easier. The Sublimotion multisensory experience restaurant in Ibiza is a good example of this. “In Sublimotion we have a blank canvas and we work without rules. We can break with everything, be creative both at the gastronomic level and design. This is very engaging for the people who work with us, chefs, interior designers, set designers … “
María Villalón explained the challenge of designing the temporary restaurant “Mirazur in Residence” in the NH Collection restaurant in Madrid where the kitchen of Mauro Colagreco, chef with 3 Michelin stars in Mirazur (France), was seen live. This project was designed with materials that helped to recreate the natural environment and ingredients that are used in the original restaurant in Menton.
Paco Roncero, María Villalón and Cosentino
Paco Roncero has great experience in the creation of restaurants in Spain, America and Asia. Among them the Terrace of the Casino of Madrid with two Michelin stars, Gastrohub in the Madrid airport, the gastrobars Pure State in Madrid and Shanghai, the Sublimotion in Ibiza, Pata Negra in Cartagena de Indias, La Canica in Mexico and Version Original in Bogotá
María Villalón has designed the pop-up restaurant “Mirazur in residence” by Chef Mauro Colagreco de Mirazur, which has been named the third best restaurant in the world in 2018. The restaurants Hake Mate, Pomerania, Chow Chow, Pointer and Terraza Teckel are her other projects in Madrid.
Cosentino. Among the restoration projects carried out with surfaces Dekton and Silestone are the restaurants Disfrutar (Barcelona), DiverXo and StreetXo (Madrid), Dani García (Marbella), Mugaritz (Errenteria), Topa Sukalderia (San Sebastían), The French Laundry (Napa Valley), Van Kameren’s Lab (Toronto), Aponiente (Puerto de Santa María), La Terraza del Casino (Madrid), The Woodspen (United Kingdom), Mirazur in Residence (Madrid).