Masquespacio presents Egeo, the first Greek restaurant that the studio led by Ana Milena Hernández and Christophe Penasse designed in Valencia.

The design started when Thanasis and Ana contacted Masquespacio to create their first Egeo in Valencia. Counting already with 2 restaurants in Madrid, the souvlaki (Greek meat and vegetables brochettes) chain founded by Thanasis, was looking for an interior design studio that could give continuity to its already existing interior design identity.

Christophe Penasse: “When Ana and Thanasis commented us they wanted to open an Egeo in Valencia, we were immediately excited about the idea, as since a while we were keen to develop a Greek restaurant. Above we also felt a special connection with their history.”

The biggest challenge was although that they didn’t want a huge change in the design for their first space in Valencia.

Christophe Penasse: “If you follow our work, you know that we like to break with the existing for which it was a huge challenge for us to respect their minimalistic Greek design and at the same time offer a different experience.”

Initially we maintained Egeo’s white and blue color palette, although we searched to bring the space closer to Greece, applying the beauty of cementish materials that are so typical for the ancient Greek houses.

Ana Milena Hernández: “We tried to materialize Greece in the space, further than just using the usual white and blue color palette.”

The walls above incorporate volumes with organic forms as one of the most highlighting features from the space, continuing with the search to represent the essence of Greek architecture.

The most standing out element from the design is although a series of Greek columns in a deteriorated state, painted here in blue.

Ana Milena Hernández: The question we asked ourselves with the introduction of the columns was how to modernize this in Greek architecture traditional element that is represented in his classical state in Greek restaurants all around the world.”

For the recreation of the columns in their modern version a blue color was used, while they were produced with a 3D printer. At the same time led tubes were added to the structure. The regular color was challenged, next to its production technique, making them a contemporary element produced with 21st century technology.

Last but not least, the order bar was situated in the middle of the space with the aim to recreate a bustling environment like if you were ordering your souvlaki from a mobile kiosk in the middle of a Greek market.

Design team:

Masquespacio