November 13, 2018

Heliotrope Relies on Understated Sophistication for Seattle Restaurant Cortina

There’s a place for outsize design gestures. But for Cortina, a restaurant in Seattle, Heliotrope Architects wanted to keep the design understated and elegant. “No gimmicks,” principal Mike Mora explains. “We set out to design a light-filled, meticulously detailed, and well-crafted restaurant.” A carefully reconfigured layout positions custom tables near a long run of windows. A 64-foot-long bar in the white oak and granite provides a space for happy hour. Although custom white-oak woodwork defines the space, a red oak ceiling provides warmth. Walls, meanwhile, are white-painted panels more often found in residential spaces, to help diners feel right at home. 

Leather upholsters banquettes. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
White oak defines the entry. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
Flooring throughout is also white oak. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
The bar is granite and oak. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
The chandelier is by Bocci. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
The private dining room is defined by walnut. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 
The restaurant’s ceiling is red oak. Photography by Haris Kenjar. 

Project TeamDovetail General Contractors: General Contractor.

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