Pio Pio Restaurant by Sebastian Marsical Studio
Sebastian Marsical Studio designed the Pio Pio Restaurant in New York.

.
Project description:
The discovery of a finely crafted wooden box set into an existing building on 10th Ave. immediately defines the initial intentions of this design: mystery, discovery, and contradiction.
The visitor enters this rustic wooden box and is removed from the noisy Manhattan streets. An exquisite marble host-table floats within the space enclosed in reclaimed wood. However, this is only a glimpse of what exists beyond. The limited view increases the tension and desire for exploration.
In the following space, a sparkling brass vestibule glows within a second wooden box. This stimulating entry leads to a 40-foot, monolithic marble bar resting on a distressed concrete floor. The bar also defines the long corridor towards another space at the end of the restaurant, set at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Here the lights dim and one finds oneself contained in a volume woven entirely in Ocotillo canes. A series of concrete forms simultaneously enclose this main dining hall and integrate it with the various res- taurant services. Once inside, the experience is no longer defined by the relationship of the restaurant with New York City; here the magic belongs to a fantastical experience that is characteristic of Latin America.
Visit the Sebastian Marsical Studio website – here.
Photography by Paul Rivera
.
.



















Alex Hoogeveen on 14 Mar 2011 at 4:01 pm #
Very boring design and even a bit depressing. Terrible design for a restaurant. It’s a great design for an underground bunker or as a hideout for a supervillain.
RBeezy on 14 Mar 2011 at 5:31 pm #
Rustic and organic with brutalist modernism. It works for me.
Richard Farner on 14 Mar 2011 at 5:40 pm #
Despite the abundant wood this looks very cold, and the brutalist concrete intimidating. Nothing about the design seems inviting… maybe the aroma of food and the presence of diners will help.
I salute the client’s sense of daring and hope this venture is successful.
GJ on 15 Mar 2011 at 10:04 am #
I love it. Bravo!
Garth on 15 Mar 2011 at 4:42 pm #
What an amazing design…Alex doesn’t see the originality in the design.
BP on 15 Mar 2011 at 8:10 pm #
in theory these materials would work well together, however in this scheme, the space seems very off putting and not very fluid. Nonetheless a very bold and interesting interpretation of materials.
city_boy on 17 Mar 2011 at 2:04 pm #
Really? Are you other commenters serious? It’s a twig-clad prisonesque monastery. …and not the good kind. I imagine the fare here to consist of kitchen refuse only.
Janell on 18 Mar 2011 at 2:21 pm #
This is an amazing use of materials and textures. I really think the warmth of the wood brings a softness to the concrete.
Abhilasha on 23 Mar 2011 at 11:10 am #
a) I think it will look more appealing as a restaurant once ‘accessorized’- a Piet Mondrian painting, bright table cloths, china and PEOPLE.
b) How do you clean food stains from exposed concrete..?