Best examples of organic biophilic design in restaurants cafes
biophilic design that brings the outside world in has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood and reduce the environmental impact of buildings and interiors. here we review some of the best examples from the world of restaurant and cafe interior design.
Zolaism Cafe - biophilic design without the plants (!) in Aranya, Qinhuangdao, PRC
Who says biophilic design has to involve plants every time? B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio show that there are other ways to bring nature indoors with this unique interpretation of the theme in Aranya, a seaside resort community in the PRC. Instead of a forest, park or garden vibe, they turned instead to the concept of a rocky mountain with its stone and vertical faces.
The 240m2 (170 m2 interior / 47 m2 exterior) space has a glass facade on three sides interspersed with dramatic rocklike glass-fibre sculptures that resemble huge boulders holding up the cafe’s flat roof. Concealed inside are the structural beams doing the real work but the visual effect is dramatic nonetheless.
Their scale also serves to create a degree of added privacy, effectively blocking out the view to the world outside in some areas to create a cocoon-like effect.
https://www.b-l-u-e.net/index.php/index/project/index/cid/1/id/70.html?lang=en
Organic biophilic design restaurant example - Mother BBK, Bangkok, Thailand
The petite, split-level restaurant Mother BBK in Bangkok, Thailand takes inspiration from Mother Nature’s four elements to craft a distinct interpretation of biophilic design restaurant interiors courtesy of local design agency Taste Space.
A strong focus on natural materials such as wood, leather and stone combined with a neutral palette of browns, taupes, greens and white make this an inherently elemental space.
Interventions in the glass. and clay tile roof result in a dappled shadow effect on diners below, while a petrified tree root is suspended above the entrance area providing more tangible connections with biophilic design architecture.
Behind the bar sits an art piece representing the four elements each shining with the contrast of different earthy tones. This acts as the story behind the venue as it represents the origin of the Earth, as told through the lens of biophilic interior design.
organic interior design restaurant example - Noema, Mykonos, Greece
With the idyllic landscape of Mykonos as its background, Noema represents a contemporary Greek aesthetic that is heavily influenced by organic modernism, a.k.a biophilic design.
This restaurant uses its space to create a welcoming, wabi-sabi indoor environment inspired by Greek culture’s preference for natural materials with a patina of age and craft.
A colour palette of warm browns, greys, greens and whites fill the space alongside natural fabrics, patterns and textures used in its build.
Diners are presented with stone plates on rustic wooden tables to reinforce a connection back to nature that is at the heart of this decidedly upmarket venue in one of Europe’s summer hotspots.
Cool summer breezes are encouraged to flow through the open-air layout bringing with them a hint of local flora and the sea.
Lush plants fill the corners of the room ensuring a vibrant balance of darker hues and green tones.
Finally the culinary senses are brought back to basics as well with a menu cooked and prepared in traditional, unfussy style.
Raw materials collected from nature are pickled, fermented, cured and sun dried. Fish is cured and brined with salt from the Aegean Sea. Meats are cooked by open fire or within a clay pot - Noema is all about adding layer upon layer of detail to the key concept.
Just like the restaurant’s biophilic interiors, the kitchen’s ingredients are all natural and unaltered, cleverly aligning the senses behind one consistent message.
Biophilic design restaurant example - Living Bakkali, Valencia, Spain
Located in Valencia, Spain, Living Bakkali falls into a distinct niche of the biophilic design scene as it avoids the possible cliche of green plants in favor of a Middle-Eastern palette of desert-inspired oranges, pinks whites and tans.
For those who know what to look for, biophilic elements of design fill the space from top to bottom. Curvilinear furniture finished to terracotta colour fabrics give the room a sumptuous, earthy hue while wall cut-outs (inspired by Middle-Eastern architecture) encourage the flow of air around the restaurant and enhance site-lines between the tables.
Interspersed among the tables and seating lie displays of dried grasses and flowers that cast natural shadows upon the tables and floors. These silhouettes on the draping curtains create yet another subtle detail of biophilic design. In turn, these visually connect with the seagrass, textured fabric and fur lined seating cushions.
Adobe, a building material made from clay and organic materials, was dominant in the interior architecture concept. It was created completely by hand, reflecting the manual human labor that goes into building traditional Arabic homes in the desert.
Adobe also fits neatly into the concept of healthy building materials and sustainable buildings interiors. As ever, inspiration from traditional cultures always helps to shine light on contemporary habits, one of which is deploying unhealthy, toxic materials in our interior spaces during the past 100 years in particular.
Biophilic design cafe example - Tanatap Ring Garden Coffee shop, Jakarta, Indonesia
Architects in Indonesia are continuing to push the boundaries between natural design and interior spaces.
This is perfectly displayed by the Tanatap Ring Garden Coffee shop located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
A coffee shop built in 2021, its ring shape holds what can only be described as a mini jungle in its interior.
The ring is a prototype of a dynamic platform that slowly spins, rises, and falls, with the different levels of the structure creating a walkable roofscape filled with plants.
Clients of the cafe can wander around the changing space, as it rotates the multi-level garden provides sharp contrasts between scale, color, density of nature, and sunlight.
Wherever you look, you are surrounded by nature. The sustainable interior design of Jakarta’s Ring Garden Coffee have set out a bold vision of sustainably designed outdoor tropical spaces for others to follow.
Biophilic design restaurant example - Cuartel del Mar , Spain
Located in Chiclana De La Frontera, Spain, El Cuartel del Mar blends falls seamlessly into the landscape from a bird's eye view.
With a roof of native gravel and plants, the natural ecosystem of this restaurant's environment is cleverly integrated into the aesthetics of the space, representing yet another subtle variation on the organic biophilic design aesthetic.
A palette of light, tonal colors reflects the seaside location while the exterior pergolas provide protection from the intense Spanish sun.
Moving to its organic interior design, the natural visuals of the surrounding environment are carefully hinted at through a color pallet of whites, tans, and browns with a touch of green.
Throughout the interior design, natural materials and Spanish craft products are favored, boosting its sustainability credentials while helping local communities.
The interior and exterior of the building is covered in a light coloured lime mortar. Lime, a healthy building material, is highly breathable and allows water particles to pass through it preventing the build-up of moisture. This gives the venue’s clients a comfortable thermal environment indoors.
Finally, a large rooftop courtyard is available for enjoying the sunshine and soak in the warming rays of Vitamin D.
silo, london, uk - zero waste restaurant with sustainable interiors
SILO in London’s Hackney neighborhood advocates for what they describe as a more ‘primitive pre-industrial’ food system. A completely Zero Waste restaurant was inevitably going to present an interesting brief for a sustainable interior designer to respond to.
We can find upcycled (rather than recycled) furniture and fittings as well as a plethora of natural, healthy and sustainable materials.
From the mycelium lampshades to crockery made of crushed wine bottles, this is a sustainable restaurant that has gone the extra mile to deliver on its promise, arguably setting a new benchmark in terms of sustainable interiors along the way.
Cork flooring tiles provide a warm, visually textured solution while a recycled plastic bar and table tops, sustainably sourced ash wood and white-washed brick walls complete the sustainable interiors.