Designed by architecture firm K-Studio, Barbouni, a beach restaurant at the Costa Navarino Resort in Greece features one of the coolest ceilings we’ve ever seen. Just watch when happens when a strong gust of wind passes through.
The restaurant sits on a wooden platform elevated from the sand allowing the waves to break underneath it. The structure of the building is formed by a grid of natural wooden columns; amongst them, like a sandcastle, an L shaped volume rendered in the sand, sits among the “forest” of tree trunks to house all the facility areas, such as kitchen, restrooms, and storage.
Over the table area, an inverted field of hanging fabric sheets forms the canopy that sways soothingly in the dissipated wind, allowing air to circulate and the space to stay cool.
Throughout the day dappled sunlight filters through the sheets, lighting and shading the space simultaneously. The animated ceiling resembles the waves on the beach and offers a rhythm to the restaurant, just like breathing.
The combination of these purposely designed and naturally occurring elements creates a multi-sensory architecture that sits in harmony with the environment, provides a natural, comfortable refuge from the elements, and creates an exciting, sociable atmosphere.
Design by K-Studio | Photograph by Yiorgos Kordakis
