Nonsense

Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), School of Architecture (ETSAV), Valencia

Project idea

Nonsense is a restaurant concept located at the Fine Arts Museum of Valencia, Spain, that homages the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. In spanish, Nonsense translates to "Sinsentido", which ironically makes so much sense for a thematic restaurant based off of his artwork.

Project description

The design solution is whimsical and surrealist, with organic, almost melting, amorphous shapes that remind the client of some of his most famous works. The overall ambiance is warm and cozy, it is an inviting space that features an outdoor patio or terrace for the restaurant's clientele. The color treatment of this space is of course based off of Dalí's works, using generally neutral colors, with some pops of hyper-saturated tones like sky blue, or a rich yellow. This outoor space continues this same design logic, using curves as the main geometry, and incorporating species that seem to melt as well, like wisteria, vines, or others that provide the space with movement such as feather-like grass. The outdoor patio includes a fountain based off of his painting of The Fountain, whis is carefully designed to resemble an element emerging from the pavement, with a smooth transition between the vertical and horizontal planes. This is a common trait between the interior and exterior spaces of the project.

Technical information

The starring material is ferrocement, which is much more maleable than regular concrete allowing for more precission when working with organic geometries. This material is applied over a hexagonal pattern steel web in the interior, and the exterior uses regular colored concrete, following the same chromatic palette from the interior. Metal is also one of the main materials, as brass and steel are used in the interior in light fixtures and table supports, and outside in furniture, sculptural elements like Dalí's elephant, and pergolas.