Living Bakkali, a reference to traditional Arabic architecture
As the name of the restaurant expresses, Living Bakkali, by the Spanish studio Masquespacio, is a place for sensory experiences, whether in terms of taste, touch or vision. With a strong Middle Eastern inspiration, its design, in the heart of Valencia, Spain, aims to maximize the customer’s experience, connecting them with a wonderful environment, for many unknown and full of mystery.
Designed by Masquespacio, the project is presented as an arrangement of various zones recreating small corners, as if the client were in the fantastic Orient with its lounge seating that invites the different groups of diners to relax and connect with each other, while enjoying the creative dishes. Dinner will be an opportunity to discover what is hidden in the other corners of the place, a mystery partially revealed by the windows in the style of Arabic architecture. A central hallway connects the entrance to the kitchen and guides the customer through the place, discovering each of the restaurant’s surroundings, from the more intimate seating area for two people and benches for larger groups to an upper level space that allows for a wider view of the bistro. While the first part of the room feels like walking down a street with old houses, the second part takes you through a hallway between curtains that incorporate a private dining room and bathrooms. At each moment, the organic forms contrast with each other, while an Adobe effect is created on the walls, floors and ceilings, using a single material for the entire design, executed completely by hand as for the houses of the past, intended to be represented in this project. Above, is applied a more neutral color palette, but slightly contrasting, clearly recalling the desert. Finally, the light effects generated highlight the mysterious and beautiful Orient to be discovered. Thus, the concept of Living Bakkali is a tribute to the unknown and wonderful world of this region of the world, with special attention to its architecture of the past.
