The first national store for the Melbourne based eatery, Fonda Bondi presents a design approach that reflects the fun, brigh, and youthful personality of the brand in a refined, slightly rustic, and unpretentious resolution by interior designers Studio Esteta.
Studio Esteta’s client sought to create a relaxed and paired back Mexican eatery that revitalised the existing run-down hospitality venue.
The prolific use of colour and texture was essential in translating the personality of the Fonda brand but was to be applied in a bold yet controlled manner, to translate the more sophisticated and ‘grown-up personality’ of the preexisting brand.
Drawing upon the traditional ‘Fonda’ in Mexico; a home that opens its doors to the local community as a restaurant, and the brand’s motto ‘mi casa, su casa’, Studio Esteta’s design response was to inherit a casual and warm personality.
Furthermore, Studio Esteta’s design resolution adapted to the topography of its surroundings, Bondi Beach, through curved forms and intentional colour selections.
The Studio Esteta design is refined and layered with conceptual intent, inspired by the ideals of modern Mexican architecture paired with a sympathetic approach to the history and site context of the beach side suburb of Bondi.
The works of architect Luis Barragan were a key point of inspiration, for his use of raw textures, bold colours, and simple but striking forms.
The curved powder blue ceiling to the front dining area draws direct inspiration from the coastal surroundings. The colour palette is light and bright, with accents of earthy nude tones, and rust and powder blue hues, inspired by the ocean, as well as shades derived from Mexico.
The simplicity of traditional solid forms is celebrated throughout the space, and in contrast are softened through the use of architectural arches, curves, and material considerations.
The raw, honest and humble textures of Mexico are further reflected through a palette that layers materials including rendered wall finishes, rust-toned encaustic tiles, rattan screens, varying shades of terrazzo and warm timbers.
The layout enables a fluid and seamless spatial flow for staff and patrons.
The patron is taken on a journey through the store, from the buzzing ‘bar’ space at the front of the restaurant which speaks to the busy and bustling Hall street, through to the intimate booth seating in the middle of the space, and finally to the rear ‘sanctuary’, a luxurious banquette, surrounded by vegetation which softens and distorts views of the existing rear façade and residential street beyond.
The centrepiece of the space becomes the communal terrazzo table, certain by its weight and surrounded by simple woven lights hanging lightly above.
Fonda Bondi demonstrates a refined and considered interpretation of Studio Esteta’s client brief. A deep conceptual and site analysis was provided for a design response that celebrates the existing site, its context and functionality, and the evolving brand for which it has been designed.
Staff and patrons are able to exist harmoniously, staff can be efficient in their workflow and service, and patrons can dine in comfort, immersed in this refined Bondi Mexican eatery.
As in Mexico, where the ‘Fonda’ is a home that opens its doors to the local community, the Studio Esteta design of Fonda Bondi instills the casual feel of a traditional ‘Fonda’ to create a warm and inviting setting that is timeless and in turn, sustainable.
Project Team
Interior Design
Studio Esteta
Founded in 2015 by directors Sarah Cosentino and Felicity Slattery, Studio Esteta embraces the understanding that beauty – often raw and unpredictable – has many facets.
Often these can be found in the many subtle, bespoke details that elevate a design, set it apart and work in harmony to evoke a sense of surprise and delight.
Studio Esteta strives to always approach the built form, materials and project briefs with a worldly outlook, eschewing trends in favour of a more considered, directional and wholly tailored approach leading to contemporary designs of a refined and timeless nature.
Based in Melbourne, Studio Esteta specialises in a range of sectors and scales and is dedicated to creating responsive and holistic design solutions that reflect the unique personalities, commercial objectives and site-specific needs of the individuals and brands they work alongside.
Photography
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2020 Studio Esteta. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Tessa Ross-Phelan. All Rights Reserved.
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