CENTRALE Restaurant
The owners of Centrale commissioned MARIAGROUP with the redesign of the restaurant:
The new scheme is driven by the idea that the existing structure should be emphasized in its architectural qualities while the new intervention clearly identifies as an addition that is dated in its temporality: the proportions of the internal space are preserved with the metallic cylindrical bar hovering above and the wire mesh panoramic elevator traveling the vertical distance.
The new dining experience is created around distinct architectural elements.
After 12 years of continuous success, Centrale restaurant had to be renewed.
A platform finished with large planks of wood and framed in metal sits in the middle of the big hall, on top of the existing paving tiles, and keeps a distance from the existing walls: the gap is highlighted with indirect linear recessed LED lighting. The platform now provides a leveled surface for the table and dining chairs.
Panels of stretched fabric with frames in black lacquered steel are positioned against the existing walls. The fabric is translucent and reveals the distribution of the windows on the original facades behind it. The 8m long fabric panels also hide black acoustic paneling that resolve the sound qualities of this monumental volume.
On the long wall, a panoramic image appears, reminiscent of 17th century Dutch still life paintings, reviving the memory of the old table that was in the restaurant at its early beginnings. It is a photo showing a feast spanning the 4 seasons, with women posing around it and dressed up accordingly. It is a composed photo that has been conceived for the restaurant, on its premises, on a table that is now used as a “table d'hôte”. 8 photos are fixed, as light boxes, to the back of the stretched fabric panels, and the image appears floating behind the fabric.
On the platform, custom floor lamps are designed to create a low horizontal and intimate level of lighting that breaks with the verticality of the space. The floor lamp is articulated with black steel and brass details: it pivots and the top ring - containing the diffused and accent lights - lifts up and down to allow for various table layouts.
In the secluded area, the big slab wood table is contained within a warm enclosure: walls are finished with strips of solid matt walnut; a custom suspension in reflective copper steel floats above it with recessed spotlights.
Today, the restaurant is open with a revived identity.
