Egeo Souvlakeria from Masquespacio

The Spanish design studio Masquespacio has designed a Greek restaurant in Valencia called Egeo Souvlakeria. The challenge for the studio was to give continuity to the existing identity of the fast food chain. Read here how this was achieved.

Ana Milena Hernández and Christophe Penasse run the Masquespacio studio, which usually likes to break with the status quo. It was therefore a great challenge for the two designers to respect the minimalist Greek design of the Egeo Souvlakeria fast food restaurant while creating their own, different experience. Originally, the designers wanted to retain Egeo’s white and blue color palette to evoke immediate associations with Greece. However, the design of the restaurant goes beyond the use of these typical colors and shows, among other things, the beauty of the many different, cement-like materials typical of old Greek houses.

One of the distinguishing features of the Egeo Souvlakeria fast food restaurant is the introduction of columns. The two designers have modernized this important architectural element in Greek form, which can be seen in Greek restaurants all over the world. In doing so, they blend tradition and technology. Blue paint was used to create a modern version of the columns. LED tubes were also inserted into the structure, which was 3D-printed. The blue Greek columns in a dilapidated state are now the most dominant feature of the space.

Egeo already owns two souvlaki chains in Madrid. The souvlaki chain founded by Thanasis sells Greek meat and vegetable skewers. The new branch in Valencia is 100 square meters in size. It retains the recognizable Greek identity that can also be seen in the Egeo restaurants in Madrid, but also offers other elements. These include the volumes with organic shapes on the walls. This important feature of the space continues the search for the essence of Greek architecture.

The simple tables with their wooden stools, which at first glance look a little like corks, are also interesting. Only when you take a closer look at the stools do you realize that they all have different shapes. To place orders, guests go to the order bar in the middle of the room. This creates a lively environment that gives the feeling of ordering souvlaki from a mobile kiosk in the middle of a bustling Greek market. The Greek plants and bright lighting complete the picture.

Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse were particularly excited about this project, as they had wanted to design a Greek studio for a long time. They founded their design studio in 2010 with the aim of doing something different and looking for innovation in every project. The duo has already worked in several countries around the world, allowing them to discover new cultures. They have already received several international awards for their work as Studio Masquespacio (“More than space”). In 2020, Elle Decoration International magazine named the studio “Young Talent of The Year”. The studio has also won the “Massimo Dutti New Values” award from Architectural Digest Spain and the “Interior Designers of the Year” award from the Spanish edition of the New York Times’ T Magazine.

More from Masquespacio: In Madrid, the studio has designed a sushi restaurant reminiscent of a spaceship.