We have converted, and created custom made pieces for, the bar and restaurant set in this exceptional location. The former tourist centre, a cube surrounded on all sides by windows, can be found in the heart of the park, set amongst the timeworn trees.
The building, created by architect Michel Demange, was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion (1929).
It’s a clear space covering almost 300m², with 360° windows. Two of its façades look out over the park, with the river and bridge to the west, and a bustling intersection to the north.
Our first intuition was to protect the bar and restaurant from the hustle and bustle of the square, by erecting a verias green marble partition at the entrance leading out onto the street. This separates the guests from the hubbub of the town, and allows them to be fully immersed in nature.
The entrance is subtle, in the style of Japanese restaurants. No sign, a portico made of varnished black steel, and the vegetation which seems to take over the premises.
A series of portraits has been designed for the location. Men and women with gourmand hats and conspiratorial expressions take their place on the back of the marble partition.
We suggested concealing the service station behind a dark custom-made piece. The surface is engraved with a large scale model (5 x 3 metres) which depicts the town’s distinctive layout and pays tribute to the building’s functional origins.
A flock of brass starlings glides across the dining area. Some of them continue their flight outside, once again blurring the boundaries of inside and out.
A long bar separates the restaurant’s open kitchen, against the backdrop of the Doubs river. Glass tiles developed for the occasion, the result of a collaboration with the glassworks at La Rochère, coats the surface with its dark green hue. Its reflections are reminiscent of the river’s surface behind it.
LE PARC RESTAURANT
PARC MICAUD
PLACE DE LA 1ÈRE ARMÉE
25000 BESANÇON
