Ecuadorian architect Felipe Escudero has created a restaurant in the heart of Quito designed to celebrate the “climate-proof gastronomy” of its chef.
Located inside the city’s Swissôtel, the space provides a new venue for Foresta – led by Ecuadorian chef Rodrigo Pacheco, an advocate for “climate-proof gastronomy”.
Pacheco created Bocavaldivia, the largest biodiverse edible forest in the world, and is also Ecuador’s Goodwill Ambassador to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Escudero aimed to reflect the innovative spirit of the cuisine in the 60-seat restaurant’s interior, using materials and forms that invoke Indigenous knowledge and spirituality systems.
“The design of Foresta is emblematic of a shared passion between Rodrigo and me – connecting people to nature through sensorial experience,” said the designer.
Instead of taking expected references from nature – such as green hues and wood surfaces – he opted for a futuristic design that uses fluid, aqueous forms to represent the forward-thinking approach to sustainable cuisine.
While much of the food preparation is done back of house, some of the cooking and plating occurs in the main dining space for guests to watch.
A series of sculptural islands with rounded sides and counters carved from Tungurahua volcanic stone provide the stage for these activities, and include a main kitchen, a cold kitchen, a service station and an area for bar seating.
Specially designed mechanisms beneath the stone allow the chefs to grill, boil, steam, and fry directly on the counter surface.
Diners have to pass these islands to reach their tables at the other end of the rectangular space, piquing their intrigue before they’re seated.
The ceiling is also designed to highlight the designated prep areas, with another black form above the main kitchen providing light and extraction, and a rippled metallic relief over the centre.
“The reflective ceiling allows the space to adapt and transform throughout the day, capturing the ever-changing play of light,” said Escudero.
“This dynamic quality mirrors the Andean cosmovision, where the connection between the gods and the earth is represented by trees – our roots in the natural world,” he added.
Cove lighting is installed under each island, as well as around the ceiling and floor junctions with the concrete-effect walls.
Sheer curtains cover the full-height windows that overlook an adjacent courtyard, while a metal banquette that echoes the ceiling materiality runs along the perpendicular wall.
“In designing Foresta’s new location, Escudero sought to create a space where nature and culinary art are in perfect harmony, blending a futuristic aesthetic with longstanding indigenous culinary practice,” said the team.
Escudero is one of Ecuador’s most prominent architects, and is behind a string of innovative buildings around his home country.
These range from a clover-shaped house and a concrete residence arranged around central magnolia tree, to a cheese factory’s warehouses and offices housed under a undulating gabled roofline.
The photography is by Vicer unless stated otherwise.
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