A restaurant serves as a canvas for the blend of art, design, cuisine, and the city. ALEX Restaurant in Miranda de Ebro, designed by BOV Estudio, incorporates materials, finishes, and furniture as symbols of the city’s industrial past, creating a space where gastronomy and sensory experiences take center stage. 

Alex, located in Miranda de Ebro (North of Spain), is a contemporary ode to the industrial roots of the city.

From its inception, Alejandro Serrano, a Michelin-starred chef with his first restaurant, envisioned this second space not only as a restaurant but as a canvas for crafting and experiencing gastronomy, seamlessly blending art, design, and cuisine.

The goal was to create a cultural hub where visual arts, music, people, and new culinary experiences could converge, all while preserving the city’s industrial essence.

The architectural design materials were chosen as a nod to the factories that are part of Miranda’s history.

Glass blocks, steel and concrete, used in nearby factories like the iconic industrial paper mill complex designed by Eduardo Torroja, are incorporated to evoke this industrial past.

Glass blocks recall the translucent walls used in factories to allow light in without compromising privacy, while steel, with its strength and durability, symbolizes the structures that supported those industrial buildings.

Concrete, omnipresent in the landscape, here becomes a solid and neutral base, providing the perfect stage for Alejandro’s creativity.

The wooden furniture design, seemingly simple and modest, employs calculated and subtle details to add a layer of versatility to the space, enabling different configurations and enriching the overall experience.

All the artists, artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, and others involved were local, emphasizing the connection between the space and the city.

In this open and airy space, the finishes and furniture create a balanced backdrop, interrupted only by the vibrant burst of color in the restrooms, allowing gastronomy and sensory experiences to take center stage alongside the diners.

This flexibility ensures that every visit is unique, with a restaurant that evolves and adapts to Serrano’s creative needs.

The duality between industrial materials and the delicate design of the furniture and lighting serves as a transition to highlight the culinary proposal, which enhances and stimulates all the senses.

The shine and reflection of metallic and glass materials, with the stainless-steel bar as the focal point, tie these elements together to create an integral and dynamic sensory experience.

This unique social platform, in constant transformation, merges human interaction, culture, and haute cuisine.

Facts & Credits
Title ALEX Restaurant
Typology Interior Design, Restaurant
Location Miranda de Ebro, Castilla y León (Spain)
Area 198 m2
Status Completed, 2024
Interior Design BOV Estudio
Photography Javier Bravo
Text by the authors


RELATED ARTICLES