Liz Dolinar: Looking Out Week 13

This is the Café del Arco by Clavel Arquitectos in Murcia, Spain (2009). The project was a redesign of the existing cafe, which linked two important districts in the city. The vertical wood facade wraps around the walls from the street face to the "interior," showing that the whole cafe is really an open eating space. The facade/interior screen is made from strips of iroko wood set on a steel frame, and designed to balance transparency and privacy. The wood serves as an extension from the street, emphasizing the open, outdoor nature of the cafe, while adding a sense of enclosure from the "screen" and a warm atmosphere.