February 23, 2020

Text: Jesse Dorris

Astet Studio Transports Malaga to Madrid with Sea-Inspired Decor for Lobito de Mar

The ground level’s “shipyard room” is almost entirely bespoke, from the chandeliers and pendants and the bold orange banquette fabric to the ceramic tile and sconces across the walls. Photography by Salva Lopez.

The gastronomic specialty of Madrid’s Lobito de Mar restaurant is written all over its walls—and, thanks to the vision of Barcelona-based Astet Studio—its ceilings, floors, and bathrooms, too. On the ground floor of the 4,700-square-foot-space, the Bar Resalao welcomes guests with walls covered in white fabric braided to mimic fishing nets and backlit with neon shapes bringing to mind creatures of the deep.

The first private space on the basement level gathers custom club chairs and Blasco & Vila dining chairs beneath a vaulted ceiling in deep red MDF, with acoustic panels by Aistec. Photography by Salva Lopez.

Further in, a “shipyard room” is all walnut and terracotta-colored fabric, with walls clad in stainless steel and vintage paintings of the sea. Downstairs, two private dining areas expand beyond a red-tiled lobby: a burgundy ship-shaped room with mirrors acting as portholes, and a sea-blue dining area with a stainless-steel bar. Bathrooms, meanwhile, call to mind fish butcheries—albeit chic ones—with their industrial plastic curtains and concrete troughs.

The result, says Astet’s creative director Óscar Engroba, “submerges the ambience of the sea into the capital,” while reminding guests that the beach and ocean of Malaga are not far away. 

In the main bathroom, a plastic curtain dramatically surrounds a custom mirror and concrete sink, with a Bongio faucet and ceramic floor tiles by 14 Ora Italiana. Photography by Salva Lopez.
The second private dining space on the basement level is defined by a sand and concrete wall, representing the beach, with leather banquettes and custom blue tile and sea-urchin-shaped sconces. Photography by Salva Lopez.
Custom storage lends utility to a corner of the Bar area, while a painting adds personality. Photography by Salva Lopez.
The bar itself is Quartz Calacatta Boheme, atop a terrazzo floor. Photography by Salva Lopez.

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