ROW studio: asado brasil merida

asado brasil merida proposal by ROW studio

for the refurbishment of  asado brasil, a brazilian rodizio restaurant in a shopping center in merida, mexicoROW studio proposed an open plan design that would allow the free flow of service between tables and several layout configurations depending on the varying needs of the customers.

a rodizio style brazilian restaurant usually refers to kind of service where clients are offered churrasco (brazilian and portuguese barbecue) meat cuts by waiters who are flowing continuously trough the restaurant tables and customers are charged a fixed price.

the space revolves around a central self service buffet bar where people can get side dishes and salads to compliment their meat. the second level would serve as additional serving space during peak hours or could be rented as a private room for events. this new section along with the proposal for a surrounding terrace duplicated the service area for the existing restaurant taking full advantage of the great height of the locale.

the whole perimeter of the locale was bordered by a sinuous continuous concrete wall with short wood vertical partitions with bright colors on their edge. this colors where arranged in a color spectrum along the curved wall creating a dynamic effect with a hint of modern brazilian architecture undertones.

a concrete screen separates the interior from a glass wall giving additional privacy to the restaurant from one of the city’s main highways and at the same time protects the interior from the sunlight and the incredibly hot temperatures of the region. in combination with a shell canopy covering the outdoor terrace it allowed the locale to be cooled with cross ventilation lowering energy consumption on full operation hours.

the outdoor shell was solved with a metallic structure that trough parametric modulation could be covered with the same triangular pieces used for the cement tiles of the interior’s floor. instead of having the tiles on the floor, the interior surface of the shells would be cover with the same hexagonal changing brazilian motifs that would be reflected on the mirrored dining surface of the tables.

cement tiles are a traditional element of merida’s 19th century architecture and a local industry ever since. we developed a custom made adaptation for manufacture machinery, molds and processes to have a triangular module which had never been used before and was not available with any manufacturer.

the triangular tiles were designed in collaboration with local designer christian pacheco who devised a seven-piece system based on the tangram that can be rearranged to generate different motifs. these images depict iconic elements of brazilian culture ranging from football to wildlife and architecture.

distribution of the hexagonal tiles

ground floor

first floor

project infoarchitects: ROW studio (álvaro hernández félix, nadia hernández félix, alfonso maldonado ochoa)use: restaurantclient: privatelocation: merida, yucatanbuilt area: 6458 sq. ft. (600 sq. mts.)project date: 2012parametric model and industrial design: víctor alemán floor tiles design: christian pacheco renders: estudio 257