Restaurant Divinatio / By Liong Lie Architects ~ HouseVariety

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Restaurant Divinatio / By Liong Lie Architects

Veilinghavenkade, Utrecht, Netherlands
Liong Lie Architects
Pos By:Kitticoon Poopong

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--Located in Utrecht’s harbor area, the building also houses a workplace for boat restoration

Fish restaurant Divinatio is located at the historical harbour of Utrecht, The Netherlands. The objective was to realize a restaurant with a maritime feel for the upper segment of the market.

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--The curiosity of the passerby is raised by the big illuminated glass bay window

The building is designed to be functional. The contrasts – rough on the outside and smooth on the inside – have been translated in the design. The interior has to appeal to a broad and contemporary group, without discouraging the more traditional public.

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--Panels of crème skai leather cover the ceiling and walls of the first floor create intimacy

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--At night, the visual flair of the establishment is enhanced by small LED spots

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--The opening in the white Corian® allows customers to see the cooks at work

The visibility lines create oversight and views and the niches create a feeling of intimacy. When choosing the materials, Liong Lie (the architect) took both the visual as tangible effects into account.

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--A custom chandelier lights up the chef’s table on the first floor © Christiaan de Bruijne

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--Dining in the midst of idyllic waterside scenery

Leather, blue glass and Corian® have been used in the design. The open kitchen is framed in white Corian® and has a dark back wall which creates the illusion of cooks standing in a theatre. The walls have been covered with an acoustic clay plaster that has a mother of pearl effect which shimmers in the sunlight.

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--The stairs welcomes guests into a space reminiscent of a ship’s cabin

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--A custom chandelier echoes the imagery of a lighthouse torch

Photo © Courtesy of Christiaan de Bruijne--Caramel-colored sinks made of epoxy allude to candy

The ceiling is made out of tufted leather panels to improve the acoustics. The chandelier appears to be rotating by the computerized lighting that increases and decreases in strength. A reference to a light house. At night the curiosity of the passerby is raised by the big illuminated glass bay window.

Description from the Architects:

Ground and first floor plans--drawing © Courtesy of Liong Lie Architects

second floor plan and section AA'--drawing © Courtesy of Liong Lie Architects

Video: Restaurant Divinatio / By Liong Lie Architects

Project Data
Project name: Divinatio
Address: Veilinghavenkade 14 3521 AK Utrecht, Netherlands

Program: Interior design, restaurant
Gross floor area: 175 m2
Completion year: December 2007

Visit Restaurant Divinatio's Website: here

Award:

Winner of Venuez Best Restaurant Design 2008

The people

Client / Owner: Grand Catering BV

Architects: Liong Lie Architects
Principal designer: Liong Lie

Design team: Roeland de Jong, Sophie Pfeiffer, Jasper Polak, Floor Theuns, Monique van der Sande, Marchien Rijneveld

Interior builder: Brandwacht & Meijer

Sinks: Vincent de Rijk

Acoustics: DHV

Note>>Location in this map, indicate city/country but not exact address.

HouseVariety

Sunday, October 23, 2011