In the restaurant “ A Barra”, in Madrid (Spain), which boasts of one Michellin star rating, the central bar is the most striking element of the place ( as suggested by the name “Barra” which mean Bar). Its dimensions and special characteristics, its elaboration, was a real challenge for all those who were involved in the project. The owners of this restaurant wanted to recover the spirit of the traditional Spanish bar with a central oval bar, with capacity for 22 people sitting on stools, and a central space for “show cooking“, one of the curiosities of this restaurant. The bar needed to be of a solid piece, made of granite, of green colour with burgundy tone. The architects, Silka and Hector Barrio Dominguez were very clear about the fact they wanted the countertop to be of a natural material but were unsure a bar of this size could be made of granite. They visited the stone elaborating company, GRANISA, located in Porriño, with a highly detailed project, to choose the most adequate material. The material chosen was the granite from India, Kerala Green. The bar weighs 12 tons and consists of 7 piece. One of the challenging moments was when these pieces had to be moved inside the restaurant through the doors.

Published in LITOS no. 132, vol. 1, 2018
Stone and Architecture