The Kalè Gastrobar restaurant is located at the port of Ierapetra, near the Venetian fortress Kalès, from which it takes its name. For many years, a tavern operated on the same site, which, like most of the seaside businesses in the area, was split into two buildings facing each other across a narrow municipal road. In the new restaurant, this type of arrangement remains the same. The kitchen, restrooms, and storage areas are positioned on the north side of the road. On the south side the dining area unfolds on a stepped platform that overlooks the sea and the harbor.
The presence of historic and religious landmarks in the area led to a simple architectural language. The familiar and welcoming seaside urban environment, through the complete transparency of the dining space, enters into a continuous dialogue with the interior. The seating spots created on the steps facing the neighborhood further enhance the restaurant’s connection to the city and the passersby, as do the openings of the kitchen in the building across the street.
The choice of white surfaces extends the palette of the surrounding buildings. The tones of the metal details and light fixtures, the wooden seats and cladding, and the marble shades of the table tops subtly evoke memories of the harbor’s imagery, with the fishermen’s makeshift shipyards where wooden and rusty boats are repaired. Lastly, the use of cloth elements, whether for shading or as spatial dividers, stands as a clear reference to the sailboats anchored in the port.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
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INTERIOR DESIGN
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PROJECT SUPERVISION
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LANDSCAPE DESIGN
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LIGHTING DESIGN
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ΤΕLFORD 46 ARCHITECTS DESIGN TEAM
ARIS THEODORIDIS
MANOS TSELAS
IRO MATTHEOU
PHOTOGRAPHY
BABIS CHATZAKIS