SOIL is a fine dining restaurant in a beautiful two-floor neoclassical building, constructed in 1925, located in an old Athenian neighborhood. The new interventions in the already restored building followed two guidelines: the revitalization of the Chef's Table room to better meet the requirements of the Michelin-starred restaurant and the addition of elements that would enhance sound absorption in the dining rooms of the first floor.

In the Chef's Table room a single dark colour was chosen for the entire space, creating an atmosphere of introversion, aiming to focus the visitor's attention on the culinary event that takes place on the table. A warm color palette combined with the rough, textured surface of the decorative panels on the walls contributed to the feeling we wanted the space to convey, that of an earthy embrace. 

The wine coolers were framed with a structure that reinforces their central position in the space and underlines the importance of wine in the fine dining experience. The arches of this structure were designed with a gradual retreat towards the wall, as if assimilated by it, creating storage space and recesses for ambient lighting.

The curved elements were chosen to transfuse a fluidity to the orthonormal space, enhancing the sense of continuity as they unfold across the four walls. At the same time, they function as a metaphor of the concept of growth and flourishing of a plant.

Finally, the existence of actual plants was a key request of the client. Our approach was to integrate them into the existing structures, by using de-juiced eucalyptus branches for the suspended ring and de-juiced moss for the recesses of the window structure. We wanted its presence to be subtle, a reference to SOIL's verdant inner courtyard.

In the high-ceiling rooms on the first floor, the need to reduce reflected sounds was imperative. The choice of Baux's Wood Wool panels was ideal because beyond their sound absorption, they meet two other important criteria. Their composition of wood wool, cement and water makes them fully recyclable and eco-friendly, which is completely in line with SOIL's philosophy of sustainability. Simultaneously, their design allowed us to merge them with the pre-existing aesthetics of the rooms and create syntheses that resembled large-scale works of art rather than sound-absorbing panels. Their particular straw-like texture and the grooves formed on their surface are another reference to plowed land and cultivation.

The sum of the design followed SOIL's philosophy for a holistic culinary experience, with the aim of making the space an integral part of the gustatory narratives that take place within it.

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PROJECT: Interior Design 

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: Daphne Kala, Dimitra Gogi (Dimension Studio)

LOCATION: Paggrati, Athens

YEAR: 2023

TYPE: Commercial

PHOTOGRAPHY: Antonis Yiamouris