Restaurant Extension in Olot
The working relationship between Les Cols and RCR began in Olot years ago. First an old farmstead was converted into a modern dining establishment, and later pavilions, both minimal and sensual, offering overnight accommodations were added (see DETAIL 6/2006). The idea of a bucolic picnic sparked this most recent extension: irregularly spaced steel tubing spans a hollow on the east of the site and is the ordering device for the new “tent”. Translucent roof membranes and transparent partitions serve more as protection from the elements than as spatial definition. As guests approach the hollow and get a glimpse of the entire length of the restaurant, they spot the slope on the other end. Perpendicular to that vista, running parallel to the structural tubing, the suspended PVC membranes zone the space and line the narrow atria. In the years to come, the picnics will take place beneath the trees’ canopy. Even the acrylic-glass furniture conforms to the architects’ quest for dematerialised space. In contrast, the earthbound “vessel” – the floor and walls – is characterised by basalt collected nearby. While the cobblestones, which serve as paving and cloak the steep west berm, are embedded in mortar, rough quarry stones were used in the atria and on the east slope. Linear LED bulbs with cone reflectors positioned on top of the steel cables make the “tent” glow at night. The sound system and building services ducts are tucked away underground. Also concealed beneath the sculpted terrain are the kitchen and restrooms: narrow glazed atria and an upward slope are the link to the world beyond.
