Bembos Asia

The front facade. The large opening seen here is climatically possible because rain is a rare condition on site. Plus the functioning season for the restaurant is summer.

Project Details

• Project Name: Bembos Asia
• Client: Bembos Restaurant
• Project Type: Restaurant
• Principal Designer/s: Architect Jose Orrego
• Date of commencement of project: November 2005
• Date of completion of project: December 2005
• Location of site: Centro Comercial Surplaza, Playa De Asia, Lima, Peru
• Built-up Area: 265 m²

Drawings

Bembos Asia - Elevations [opens in a popup window - 29 KB image]

Bembos Asia - Floor Plan [opens in a popup window - 25 KB image]

The front facade lighted up at night

Located in the food court of SurPlaza Commercial Center at the Asia beach, in Lima, Peru, Bembos Asia is essentially the merging of two brands. Namely Bembos (a local chain of restaurants) and Coca-Cola. The design physically merges the individual icons of each brand - as seen most prominently on the front facade, in the form of a large opening.

The Interiors reflect the 'Bembos' and 'Coca-Cola' brands through colors and forms.

Words from the designer

"The main goal of the design was to create an extended front facade in order to give the illusion of monumental, (maybe even iconic) space, considering that the depth of the space wasn't enough for that."

The concrete flooring is in two colors and the ceiling is constructed of reflective polycarbonate.

The designer on materials and lighting

"Due to the seasonal function of the place, materials that captured a lot of attention away from competition were required. Also since the business peaks only during season, materials needed to be low-cost and visually impact full.

The exterior facades are covered with flat cement sheets (of varying sizes and colours) over a basic metal structure, used for their easy assembling process and weather resistance. White painted aluminum sheets make for the roof. The floor is in two colors of polished concrete.

The interiors can be clearly seen here as a result of the merging of two brands.

The facade lights up from the reflected interior lighting. Blue halogen lamps and LEDs further light up the exterior polycarbonate."

Credits

• Text and photographs: Courtesy, the architect
• Compiled and edited by Varun M. Ajani