‘CAMALEON’ RESTAURANT

‘El Camaleón’ restaurant is located within a shopping centre in a very busy commercial area of Lima. Most of the surrounding food serving establishments operate around the clock, but none of them reflect this condition. We wanted to accentuate the fact that this building would always be open, and so decided to keep the enclosure to a minimum. The only two walls wrap around the kitchen area on the ground floor and do not meet the ceiling, creating a visual separation from the glass box above. The long, curved eating counter was oriented following the direction of pedestrian traffic coming in and out of the shopping centre, in such a way that people passing by would be attracted by the large central oven behind it. Parallel and opposite to the bar is the staircase which helps define a pedestrian pathway across the restaurant. The second floor, defined by four glass curtain walls, houses small tables that can be moved around and rearranged according to particular needs. A combination of translucent floor-to-ceiling photographs and exterior metallic trellises provide shade from the afternoon sun and enhance the sense of openness of the building.

Collaborators: Patty Llosa, Sophie Lebienvenu