Capitan Restaurant is an interior design project trying to turn the existing shell of an auto dealership into a high end hospitality space in Tehran. 

The 15,000 SF area of the project is divided into four and half levels: Basement including kitchen and administrative offices, ground level as the main dining area, two small private lounges as half stories, first story as non-alcoholic bar and lounge, and the roof garden. 

Considering the growing thirst for creating an instagram-worthy space, our client wanted to make his restaurant a creative, astonishing space with an industrial look. After discussing the program with the client, it was decided that the ground floor with the high ceiling become the main dining area for families while the first floor is kept for the non-alcoholic bar and lounge for younger generations. He also wanted to increase the length of the bar counter predicting high rate of requests to seat at the bar counter. 

For groups who wanted more privacy, we took advantage of the two small spaces (half stories) and planned for thematic designs; one of them to be the captain’s cabin in accordance with the name of the project. In order to turn as much as valuable space possible to the hospitality floor area, client wanted to install foldable canopies on roof and make it a roof garden.

Providing the correct solution for the program requirements, two main rules were determined as design guidelines:

• Using the earth-tone materials with expose details and minimum decorations
• Showing them off under the correct light

Following these simple rules, the big round lights were designed for the ground floor to make the space even more majestic and also organize the free space into four main bays. On the other hand, the first floor needed to be lit more directly to keep the ambient light under control. In fact, other than the bar counter we did not want to have any ambient light at all.

Through keeping a constant palette of materials, assigning appropriate functions to existing diverse spaces, and playing with the lights the Captain Restaurant will be a place to attract different people and infuse them with pleasure while they are enjoying their meals.