'ex pobre diablo' restaurant celebrates quito's la floresta neighborhood

architect daniel moreno flores of studio la cabina de la curiosidad presents its ‘ex pobre diablo’ restaurant in la floresta neighborhood of quito. the space is defined by its garden atmosphere of lush plant life, integrating within an urban context. the project revitalizes an historic structure that had occupied the city for nearly 70 years, as the design team notes that it ‘has been witness of the transformation that has happened in the neighborhood and in the city. in its space there have lived various generations, this is why in the walls there are remains of human events that have happened along time.‘

images by bicubik photography

with the design of its ‘ex pobre diablo’ restaurant, architect daniel moreno flores seeks to express and unroll the history of the space. housing the terra eatery, the building is enclosed by a roof of glass, celebrating and exposing the skeletal structure beneath. overhead this greenhouse-like assembly is a suspended, secondary roof of corrugated steel — a memory of the historic context.

daniel moreno flores makes use of the ex pobre diablo as a chance to collaborate with local craftsmen and emphasize handcrafted processes. commenting on this strategy, the architect notes: ‘hands are such an honorable tool that requires thorough processes, attention, concentration and curiosity.’ during the design stage the team discovered materials to be reused during the demolition of the original walls, finding solutions from the handcrafted activities. the team built prototypes and trials for constructive processes in a direct contact with the raw material while planning the overall project. 

project info:

project title: ex pobre diablo

architecture: daniel moreno flores | @daniel_moreno_flores_

location: la floresta, quito, ecuador

design team: daniel moreno flores, santiago vaca jaramillo

developer: uribe schwarzkopf

client: impaqto, terra

completion: 2019

photography: bicubik photography