Located inside a building in Valongo, a Portuguese municipality in the district of Porto, the restaurant renovated by Paulo Merlini architects looks like a winery. The former space, with visible pillars and sanitation pipes, is completed by a series of concrete arches and a mirrored wall that visually expands the room. Wooden barrels set into the walls and dark material textures make Barril restaurant resemble a classic wine cellar, while pine slats cover the ceiling, 20 mm apart from each other. Combined with sound-absorbing material, these panels improve the sound quality inside the restaurant – as required by the customer – by reducing reverberation by 80%.
Light projectors underline the arched structures and circular chandeliers provide indirect lighting, which can be adjusted as required.