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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
2006
2007
WINNER OF VENUEZ BEST RESTAURANT DESIGN 2008
Location Utrecht, The Netherlands
Entrepeneurs Grand Catering
Finishing Brandwacht & Meijer
Sinks Vincent de Rijk
Acoustics DHV
Securitysystem Proper Alarm
Liong Lie, Roeland de Jong, Sophie Pfeiffer, Jasper Polak, Floor Theuns, Monique van der Sande,Marchien Rijneveld
Christiaan de Bruijne
