El Equipo Creativo fuse Japan and Peru in Pakta, the new project from the Adrià brothers.

Barcelona, or the area around Paralelo Avenue to be more precise, is in luck. Following the footsteps of Tickets and Coctelería 41º, it has also been chosen by Albert and Ferran Adrià siblings for their new gastronomic project: the Pakta restaurant. 

This time nikkei, or Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, is the inspiration; not only in the menu but also in the interior design, which has been executed by Oliver Franz Schmidt and Natali Canas del Pozo of El Equipo Creativo studio.

See Tickets and Coctelería 41º in diarioDESIGN.

Pakta – which means ‘union’ in the local Quechua language – is named precisely for the fusion of two distinct gastronomic schools: Japanese and Peruvian. In fact, the foundation of nikkei gastronomy is Japanese, but wrapped up the colours, flavours, ingredients and traditions of Peruvian cuisine.

Taking this into account, the design of the functional elements of the restaurant (sushi bars, kitchen, furniture, etc) have been inspired by a traditional Japanese tavern. But the project’s austerity does stop here, as a multitude of cords run throughout the space, criss-crossing each other like an authentic Peruvian loom. Here they are much bigger, yet without losing the three-dimensional sensation of real looms.

The lighting design has been carried out with the help of the BMLD Lighting Design team. Here, two cultures also meet. As those who carried out the project explain, the concept consists of ‘the fusion of dark-light and simplicity-color’. This translates to the use of low level light in some of the looms to generate rhythm and dynamism and emit a sensual and luminous light on the tables. At the entrance, lanterns are hung between the various levels of the three dimensional structure.