In the center of Madrid, Spain, the experimental architecture studio BURR, has transformed what was an old commercial premises into a spontaneous and ambitious restaurant for change and evolution. The technique is based on the resources used in street markets, tensioned surfaces to separate spaces, plastic to repel water, opaque to protect from the sun.

A textile project is proposed to distribute and condition the interiors. A system that allows the space to be arranged on gala days, to dress up on holidays or to put on a work overalls every day. The furniture project is important, using as a basis the aluminum tube bending technique, used essentially for the production of outdoor furniture for small bars and restaurants in Spain.
In line with these ideas, BURR proposes a façade made up of a deliberately uncoordinated superposition of elements, making the rhythm of the arches not coincide with the large windows open to the street. In this way, the façade is understood as a sum of layers that have no relation to each other.

The kitchen elements on the other hand adopt a technical aesthetic, using stainless steel as a sanitary surface on which to prepare or serve meals. The false ceiling leaves the kitchen invading the rest of the space with metallic reflections, blurring the difference between the two sides of the bar.
 

Description of project by BURR

Brutal Burrito takes the temporary, sporadic spaces that appear on any corner to offer you a product or a service as a referential approach: an informal market stand, vending spots or street food trolleys.

The idea is to capture that feeling of spontaneity and reversibility in accordance with the gastronomic project itself, both for its condition close to street food and for its ambition to change and evolve.

The project treats the space as a body to be clothed, therefore establishing a distinction between naked and dressed parts. The pre-existing space remains undressed, assuming a raw aesthetic based on rough plastered surfaces and floors that reflect the materiality of the surrounding sidewalks.

On the other hand, a textile system distributes the dining areas. A model that allows the space to be dressed up on special occasions, to put on a costume on a celebration, or to wear working clothes on a daily basis. A pattern model rather than a closed design.

This elements are based on techniques used in street markets or similar events: stretched fabrics to separate spaces, often made of plastic to repel water and matt to protect from the sun. Flat coloured tarpaulins; reused, branded surfaces or specifically designed textiles for an event could be set up to transform the space on a particular occasion.

To create a contrast with this street-like reference, the project leans on rather classical influences using arcades to delimit the interior spaces. This kind of structure resembles inflatable castles for children; a kind of plastic-made tradition.

This dismountable, almost disposable condition gives the space a certain spontaneity; the feeling of being a place that does not really belong there. In line with this idea, the facade display consists of intentionally mismatched elements, making the arcades appear unrelated to the large street-windows, so that it is understood as a series of layers that don't fit each other.

The kitchen elements, on the other hand, take a fixed position. They adopt a functional, technical aesthetic, using stainless steel as a sanitary surface on which to prepare or serve food. The ceiling extends out of the kitchen, invading the rest of the space with metallic reflections, blurring the difference between the two sides of the bar counter.

Among all the kitchen elements, two stand out above all others. The first one is the comal, an adaptation of the traditional pre-Columbian cookware mainly used in Mexico.

It takes a central position, both physically and symbolically, representing all cooking operations developed by Brutal Burrito. It is a shiny stainless steel cylinder, split in two halves, a griddle and an exhaust hood, only connected by smoke and flames.

The second element is the tortilladora, an appliance specifically developed to produce tortillas, rarely found outside of Latin America. The visitor encounters the tortilladora in action, producing the tortillas that will later be eaten, enclosed in a protective glass case.

The furniture designed for Brutal Burrito is based on the aluminum tube bending technique, essentially used for the production of outdoor furniture for small bars and restaurants in Spain.

A simple system of several bends per tube to generate double legs for both the tables and the high stools. For the tabletops and seats the chosen material is a high-density cutting board, commonly used in the kitchen for chopping and slicing food. The repetition of these elements results in two large shared-use tables.

3TG's graphic identity project is expressed in LED screens around the restaurant that pick up and emphasize this feeling of a temporary funfair, launching messages and promotions related to the products they offer.

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Architects
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Project team
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Construction / Production.- Dasepa, Viuda de Ramírez.
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Dates
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2021.
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Manufacturers
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Gráfica + Branding.- Tres Tipos Gráficos (3TG).
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Location
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San Bernardo Street, 64, 28015 - Madrid, Spain.
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Photography
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Maru Serrano.
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Burr. Burrs are rough edges, imperfections and remnants that appear in a process of alteration. Burr is an experimental architecture practice led by Elena Fuertes, Ramón Martínez, Álvaro Molins and Jorge Sobejano. Amanda Bouzada and Jesús Meseguer complete the team. Burr was before architecture firm "Taller de Casquería".

Winners of a Europan 13 first prize in Marl, Germany, won a selection at the 2017 FAD Awards and have been finalists for the Arquia Proxima Awards 2014 and 2016. Their work is part of the permanent collection of the Architekturmuseum: Pinakothek der Moderne from Munich. Finalists for the FAD 2019 awards.
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Published on: December 11, 2021
Cite: "A street vendor cart as a base. Brutal Burrito by BURR" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/a-street-vendor-cart-a-base-brutal-burrito-burr> ISSN 1139-6415
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