Walls Covered With 10,000 Collected Bones at ‘Hueso’ Restaurant in Mexico.

Located in the beautiful Lafayette Design District in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico is the home and studio of Diaz Morales, part of the Luis Barragan Foundation. Does this mean I have your attention now? Good. This extraordinary modernist architecture setting from the 1940s serves as the perfect backdrop for Alfonso Cadena’s new concept restaurant “Hueso”. The restaurant name originates from the Spanish word “Bone”. The design approach takes the title literally, integrating architectural details, graphics and a design approach which plays up the skeletal idea. While I’m not normally a fan of such literal interpretations, this interior is an exception to the rule – the concept has been approached with such commitment and unbridled enthusiasm, and executed beautifully by Cadena+Asociados.

The design approach for the building began with a creation of a double skin. The exterior of the building is covered in artisanal handmade ceramic tiles reminiscent of stitching and sewing patterns, protecting the inside layer which becomes more organic and full of texture. Inspired by the Darwinian vision and the name of the restaurant itself, the inside skin is covered with over 10,000 collected bones from animals and plants mounted on timber blocks. These were mixed with objects and cooking tools, all of which were assembled by urban visual artists.

The off-white colour palette and a collection of aluminium cast bones hang on the interior walls, while the exposed kitchen becomes a display for the guests – the bar is the only partition between the culinary artists and the main table. It’s evident that so much heart and soul has gone into this project, I can only imagine that the food must be as the delicious as the interior looks. Extreme love.

[Images courtesy of Cadena+Asociados. Photography © Jaime Navarro.]