The CUBE – Park Associati Architecture – Belgium

 

The CUBE – Park Associati Architecture – Belgium

Type: Commercial- Restaurant

Location: Brussels – Belgium

Building status: built in 2011

THE CUBE – Dining with a View – itinerant restaurant commissioned by Electrolux, celebrated its’ opening on Friday, 1 April, 2011 in Brussels. The project was conceived and organized by the Belgian event agency Absolute Blue; the design of the pavilion, as well as the interior design, was developed by the Italian firm Park Associati, Milano; Logo and Texture Design by Studio FM Milano.

Designed to visit unexpected and dramatic locations throughout Europe, THE CUBE – Dining with a View- was launched in Brussels where it sits atop of the Parc du Cinquantenaire, close to the headquarters of the European Community. It will be open for lunch and dinner in this location until the 3rd of July, temporarily transforming Brussels’ skyline with it’s presence.

The restaurant will be active simultaneously in twin structures; two Electrolux Cube’s will travel across Europe offering a memorable dining experience for 18 guests per setting in magnificent locations: Belgium, Italy, Russia, Switzerland and Sweden. The semi-transparent structure will reside 3 months in each location and will be seen on top of buildings, monuments and on occasions, even floating on water.

The interior of the THE CUBE has been designed to suit different arrangements; the pavilion consists of a large open-planned space with a visible kitchen and a single large table that can be made to disappear by raising it up to the ceiling to form a lounge area for use after eating.

The total floor area of 140 sqm is divided between the open-planned space and a 50 sqm terrace.

In the kitchen, fitted with high-tech appliances in typical Electrolux style, top international chefs will take turns in offering guests a show-cooking service with specially created menus.

THE CUBE has been conceived as a module that can be put up and taken down relatively easily, one that suits all climatic conditions, even the most extreme, while always expressing the maximum in living comfort with its refined aesthetics and use of high-quality materials.

The construction has the lightness and versatility of an exhibition stand yet with the design complexity of a building. It uses materials that are highly innovative in terms of technology, eco-sustainability and energy saving as well as enabling constant re-use.

The pavilion’s lightness of form is emphasised on the exterior by its white colour and given a sense of movement through the use of an aluminium “skin” that has been laser-cut to create a texture with a geometric design that covers the whole of the outer surface. The base of the building, slightly raised with respect to the ground, accentuates the idea of lightness and the cleanness of form that characterises the entire structure. Inside, more highly advanced technological solutions can be found in the lighting, heating, sound system and of course, the kitchen equipment.