andrés jaque completes ‘romola’, a super-marble restaurant in central madrid

andrés jaque / office for political innovation has completed ‘romola’, a cafe and restaurant within a mid-century building in madrid. photographed here by imagen subliminal, the project transforms the former garage of gutierrez soto’s most significant building. while the original volume and structure remains in-tact, the experimental restaurant creates a new, open design at street level.

all images by imagen subliminal (miguel de guzmán + rocio romero)

described as a ‘marble-made tent in the galaxy’, the interiors stand out among the more common austere cafeterias of madrid. in contrast to the overly used hydraulic tiles or red ceramic bricks, the design team employed vivid colors, furnishings, and high-end materials throughout the space. andrés jaque worked with a small number of marble manufacturers, leather upholsterers, metal benders and chrome-platers. the designers also collaborated with rare-wood panelers and artisan varnishers.

the condition of the marbles is registered by a number of technologies attached to it

the condition of the marbles is registered by a number of technologies attached to it, such as the glass fiber and resin reinforcements. the articulated anchoring systems render the marble a sort of ‘supermarble’, capable not only of resisting compression, but also traction. in what has been a unique engineering challenge, the project takes this capacity to its limits, by creating a supermarble-made self-standing tent. the tent accommodates the customers’ tables and allows other uses such as cooking, which have been organized in a C-shaped periphery around it. 

glass fiber and resin reinforcements act as anchoring systems for the marble

artisan leather-upholsterers were commissioned for the project

the tent accommodates the customers’ tables

the ‘supermarble’ is capable not only of resisting compression but also traction

the design team employed vivid colors, furnishings, and high-end materials throughout the space

metal-benders were commissioned to custom-design the interior furniture and chrome-platers

the designers also collaborated with rare-wood panelers and artisan varnishers

the cafe replaces a former garage in a building that dates back to 1946

the cafe serves as an open and inviting space at street level

project info: 

address: hermosilla, 4. madrid
credits: office for political innovation: laura mora vitoria, roberto gonzález garcía, paola pardo, víctor cano ciborro, nieves calvo lópez, marina fernández ramos, marta jarabo devesa, danay kamdar, pablo maldonado, solé mallol, valentina marín, flavio martella, víctor nouman garcía, larissa reis, isabel sánchez del campo, belverence tameau, borja garcía lázaro.
structural consultancy: mecanismo. ingeniería de estructuras (juan rey, jacinto ruiz)
service design consultancy: ditec. diseño y tecnología ingenieros consultores
quality surveyor: alfonso sáenz
safety & security coordinator: josé maría gutiérrez
photography: miguel de guzmán + rocío romero — imagen subliminal