Into the Woods: A Museum Cafeteria in Spain

With their tree-inspired dining tables in the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia, Spanish architects Estudio Nômada create a conceptual forest to evoke the communal spirit of local summer festivals, which feature long tables shaded by the surrounding trees.

Photography by Héctor Santos-Díez via Archdaily.

Above: Estudio Nômada created an abstract forest in their design of the cafeteria and museum shop within the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia (Galician City of Culture). Designed by Peter Eisenman, the large-scale cultural hub includes a museum, library, arts, and performing arts centers and celebrates the culture of this autonomous community in northwest Spain.

Above: The feet of the tables extend upward and become abstracted tree forms.

Above: A view of the forest through the entry of the cafeteria.

Above: The colored tiles on the long counter are a nod to Galician folk culture.

Above: High above the tables, the branches fill the void of the tall space.

Above: At table level, the space is uninterrupted.

N.B. For more tree inspired dining, see A Surreal Table Setting in Belgium, Avian Guests Included.