Cool Spaces: ENIGMA Restaurant

WORDS Cheri Morris

A watercolour painting brought to life by the vision of renowned Catalan chef Albert Adrià, ENIGMA is a multi-sensory culinary craft world that resembles an icy wonderland.

Born of Adrià’s vision to create a frozen and enigmatic restaurant reminiscent of his own culinary style and career, Barcelona-based ENIGMA‘s elusive interior accomplishes that and more. Created in collaboration with Neolith by TheSize, RCR Arquitectes and Pau Llimona, this magical ice kitchen is a unique experience of both visual and culinary delight.

Adrià is renowned for his experimental cuisine and surprising menus. The interior of ENIGMA is an immersive experience of his style and features a cloud-like ceiling encouraging guests to feel as if they’re in a dream-state as they explore the labyrinth of narrow melty aisles and watery shadows. The design elements are present in everything, from the food to staff uniforms.

Three years in the making, the enchanting design took shape from two A3 watercolour paintings that were then meticulously rendered into the first-ever Neolith sintered stone created to mimic an organic interior made from ice and water. Neolith is a high-end compact surface that combines the best natural raw materials with state-of-the-art technology to create a high-tech stone slab that can be rendered in any shape and colour.

For more information about the restaurant, visit enigmaconcept.es.