The new 34 Restaurant has debuted as an ode to the art nouveau in Guimarães, Portugal. REM’A Architects crafted the restaurant in response to the restaurateur’s previous concept. “The defining elements, like plants, colors, and materials, were almost like an art nouveau mood board,” says REM’A cofounder Romeu Ribeiro. “We realized we could explore a conceptual matrix that would give consistency to the combination of all these elements, in a reinterpretation of this less ornamental artistic movement, which would be more structuring in the space’s geometry.”
Irregular geometrics and asymmetrical forms shape the space’s ceilings and moldings, and a natural flow and depth permeates 34’s longitudinal direction thanks to the sinuous lines, which are further contextualized by long sofas. Original masonry also remains intact, complementing wooden details to infuse an air of an Old World eatery.
Spread across three floors and lined with green walls, 34 Restaurant is crowned with a dining and lounge partitioned by a tree. “We didn’t want central and isolated tables, as we understood that this could negatively interfere with the experience,” says REM’A cofounder José Pedro Marques. “Therefore, in the upper floor, we define a central path between the lounge area and the main room, making the transition through a screen that discreetly unveils the moment when the clients discovery the tree. We understand that the tree, as a central element of this room, would reinforce the axis and allow a second surprise moment: the framed view of Toural Square in the heart of Guimarães.”
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