Mortar & More

The gastronomic scene is constantly being reinvented, and as a result, diners have a new mindset about designed restaurant spaces and experiences.

The global culinary scene has evolved over the years, and there’s space to explore new avenues and designs to exceed expectations. People are open, adventurous, and hungry for something new to discover.

On our own doorstep here in studio, the regeneration of markets including the Fruit and Vegetable Market on Mary’s Lane, Iveagh Markets, and with the introduction of new markets like Manifesto at St. Andrew’s and Boland’s Quay projects in the pipeline, there is an opportunity to start telling the story of our relationship with food while encouraging interactions amongst communities and creating a deeper culinary experience.

Markets are a breeding ground for pop-up culinary events, jumpstarting ingenuity among creatives and food talents.  To nurture this, we must consider how we can make the spatial experience meaningful and take notes from existing gastronomic establishments that have proven to provide exciting experiences here and abroad. Here are some local and international samples.

While there are many innovators in the food industry in Ireland, it feels like there is space for something more substantial to happen.

Looking to international examples here are some of the well-established and new to the scene who are leading the charge on their home turf…

TeamLab Borderless Exhibition, Japan

Is a digital art museum comprising light-projected artworks that form one continuous, ‘borderless’, open-space experience. The digital art experience continues in the tea café they’ve added to the exhibition space. Here, you can enjoy sipping tea while projected digital flowers bloom in the cup. The flowers inside the cup react to touch and move whenever you lift the cup. This immersive experience elevates the whole visit and allows visitors to take a break without missing out on the art.

Seven Dials Market

In 2019, Kerb Food created their first permanent and Flagship food market in London, Seven Dials Market. The setting is a former banana storage warehouse located in the heart of Covent Garden. The offering is a melting pot of 20 new and upcoming food vendors along with two bars, DJs, and event spaces. 

This is all about community, championing start-ups and creating a space which provides visitors with a full food experience, including London’s first cheese sushi conveyor, a large communal seating space, and a party hall that can be booked for different events.

It has maintained its warehouse aesthetic leaning into the details and design around the existing structure with minimal and considered interventions. Timber joinery details soften the exposed bricks and mortar that showcase the historical elements of the warehouse.  The expansive space and atrium give it an indoor-outdoor feel, making it the perfect spot for large gatherings.

KaDeWe

Founded in 1907, and sitting in the center of Berlin has retail reinvention at its forefront, mixing its traditional retail roots with modern contrasts. One of the biggest retail stores in Europe, its top floor is home to the Food & Restaurant retail space, offering over 35,000 products and wines.

As you meander through the space the curated selection of well-known café and restaurants offer space for you to become their guest. Seated at their counters or in comfortable booths, encouraging you to lounge, this feels like a carefully considered market providing an offering to everyone.

This is a destination space within the store, not somewhere you stop off at during a shopping excursion.  It has become a space where you go to meet friends, go with family, go to gather some specialty food and wine for a special occasion.

Always bustling and always vibrant, this should herald the end of the vacuous food courts we see so often in larger retail spaces.

We Are Ona

Is on an impressive journey to revolutionise global culinary experiences. Founded by Luca Pronzato in 2019, a sommelier and restaurateur who previously worked at NOMA Copenhagen, he set out to combine artistic industries like fashion, architecture, and art to create contemporary fine dining environments for clients. He has established a new precedent by exploring innovative ways to create engaging culinary events and spatial design. We Are Ona’s most recent event was a pop-up in New York City. They appointed architect Marc Leschelier to create an architectural element that doubles as seating. The result is a Brutalist installation of an oversized table and seats made of concrete blocks with chains. We Are Ona’s initiative builds a unique community for creatives, food talents and diners.

Find out more about We Are Ona from Frame Magazine↘