BIKO Restaurant

BIKO

(1)+(1)=1

The architectural design is partly inspired in the approach of the chefs Mikel Alonso and
Bruno Oteiza (disciples of Jean Marie Arzak) through the tasting of dishes and wines where
the traditional flavours of the Basque cuisine and its evolution create a new concept of
clear duality.
Based in this duality, the architectural concept uses the opposition of tones (light/dark)
that can be appreciated in the texture and hardness of the materials; this, combined with
an oblique geometry inspired in prehispanic forms, generated the base for the design. The
colour is given by the dishes.
The dark tones are represented by black slate on floors form a solid base; dark steel plates
on walls and ceiling envelope the wine cellars and bathrooms, generating more hidden and
solemn spaces..
The clear tones are conveyed by a sand coloured skin (Sande plywood) that envelops the
space in horizontal scaled sections starting from the floor increasing in size and ending
interweaving with a structure of vertical wooden lattices whose transparency allows a
view of Mazaryk Avenue and control the afternoon sunlight
Within this space two elements were placed to break its equilibrium, the first is a wooden
walnut box that forms the bar and at the same time limits the entrance, the wine cellars
and the dining area. The second one are two ¼” steel plates wrapping the chocolate
coloured leather booths and also contain the waiters stations, becoming a point of
reference in the restaurant.
The access to the wine cellars through an oblique tunnel made of glass is wrapped in steel
plates and wooden oak racks for storing wine at a 5 degree angle to the walls and ceiling.
A solid oak table in one of the cellars serves as a private dining room for special requests,
enhancing the lightness of the walls and ceilings of black steel.