It’s been a little while since my last post, but I’m back with a laid-back and uplifting project for you all; Pujol, a modern Mexican Cuisine in Polanco, Mexico City. This stylish restaurant is a former renovated 1950’s bungalow that has been transformed to embrace the location and its unique produce. Chef of the renowned Pujolrestaurant, Enrique Olvera, teamed up with JSa Studio Architects and Micaela de Bernardi Interior Designers to conceptualise and formulate a contemporary and quaint for its region dining experience, that not only accumulates some of the city’s favourites, but modifies and adapts above and beyond what is expected of this humble restaurant.
The creative approach was solely driven by the neighbouring habitat which gave significance to the space and its visual responsiveness. The architects made sure to preserve the existing structures of the bungalow, whilst introducing elements that balance a modern approach with an apparent appreciation towards the existing fabrication. The design also focuses on the Cuisine itself and the senses that come with dining at an environment as such, through the use of lighting, the natural exposure to nature and the linear framework of the minimal furniture and bespoke architecture.
Persistent timber finishes form the restaurant with touches of matte black features and aged textures that display encouragement towards the perception of new meeting the old. These heavy finishes add contrast against the light greys and soft whites of the walls and concrete poured floors. Amongst these textures, the space is consumed by vibrant vegetation, giving a fresh and more naturally energised atmosphere to the darker hues. A fresh garden, of which often provides for the kitchen, is situated within parts of the restaurant, accentuating that natural notion that’s carried through the modernised furnishings.
The Mexican cuisine is strictly influenced by its surroundings and original culture. Ingredients are sourced from a nearby farm and transported from the city of Oaxaca, whilst fresh herbs are grown and picked within the restaurant’s garden. Circling the air, fragrances of smoked elotitos coated in a spicy coffee dressing and powdered with chicatana [Oaxacan flying ants], offer a unique sensory experience to guests and announce the chef’s specialties before sampling them first hand for themselves.
Altogether, these particular aromas and minimalistic design elements leave you feeling warm, welcome and wanting more.
Photos © Cereal Magazine
Photography courtesy of Cerruti Draime
