A space to share gastronomy through light

Gastronomy is culture. What we eat not only nourishes us, but it also teaches us, it tells us about the lands where the raw materials are sourced from, about how different dishes are prepared. The Montagud publishing house was founded in 1906 to celebrate this intellectual and communal aspect of food, constructing a published archive that records the legacy of the people who practice the art of cooking. The design of these books, and the Apicus magazine published twice yearly, is impeccable: each of the typographies, the blank spaces, the images are carefully considered. The culinary excellence is informed by the excellence of the books, and that same criteria is now applied to the physical space at the new Barcelona showroom, a space designed for encounters between gastronomic professionals and enthusiasts, food related experiences and shared conversations. A space specifically designed to feed this culture.

The Lago Interioriza studio designed the project which the publishers describe as “a space conceived to support the written word, for meetings and experiences without imposing its presence; a place for people who think about things.” And that design philosophy is also applied to the lighting, designed by Vibia’s Lighting & Wellbeing Studio team as a sequence of settings organised around the space that supports the various rituals that happen there. The Plusminus collection which was designed by the Diez Office featuring a textile belt which integrates the electrical wiring that allows different light fittings to be attached, provides this project with a remarkable versatility and complements the table lamp fittings, Musa, Africa and Mayfair as well as the hanging lamp Tempo.

On arrival, neatly organised bookshelves greet visitors, taking centre stage within the space. Beside them, a long table invites us to leaf through the pages of the books on display. Here, Plusminus helps organise the spatial layout. Along a single textile belt a linear diffuser is attached that illuminates the tabletop combined with a few spots that direct the gaze towards the bookshelves. Perched over the table is Musa which introduces a more intimate scale through its design by Note Design Studio that attenuates the light through the hand-blown opaline glass shade. Meanwhile Africa sits on the side table, designed by Francisco Gomez Paz, projecting a sculpted, focal and adjustable lighting.

As we continue to explore deeper inside, we arrive at another corner, separated by a metallic curtain with a bar counter equipped for presentations, lined by a wall of shelving not for books this time, but culinary awards which the publishing house has collected since its founding. The story continues, and Plusminus reappears, this time in a beige tone with semi-spherical lights suspended from the belt. Here too the elegant and portable Africa lamp focuses the light and will also be featured in the kitchen beyond.

In the area used for recording podcasts, christened ‘Se me antoja’, (I’m craving …), the light becomes more attenuated inviting a more intimate conversation, reflexion, and shared intimacy. An effect that Plusminus once again helps generate, this time with semi-spherical diffusers in a beige finish.

We then arrive at the events space, with round tables accommodating gastronomic activities and shared experiences with other diners. Here the lighting is conditioned by the communal activities, inviting a mutual interaction between both while learning about food. The conical version of Plusminus directs the light towards the centre, reinforced by Mayfair Mini, the table version of the lamp, for a more intense illumination. The latter is a lighter contemporary reinterpretation of the classic lamp designed by Diego Fortunato, it reappears in the show-cooking area, supporting gastronomic demonstrations with its focal light over the dining tables and the counters complementing the general lighting scheme that Plusminus provides through the spherical version here attached to the beige coloured textile belt. A tandem that perfectly addresses the different lighting requirements within the same shared space.

The kitchen, tucked into one of the corners, introduces a colourful yellow element into the scheme and, as one would expect, is given pride of place. Here the linear diffuser version of Plusminus returns, a sleek minimalist fitting, highlighting the activities happening at the heart of the space below.

For the bathrooms the subtle silhouette of Tempo, designed by Lievore Altherr, seamlessly blends with its surroundings and completes the spatial flow. The oval structure of progressively more opaline glass attenuates the light and softens it. The collection’s Red Earth finish combines with the candles to create a sensation of calm.

This showroom is proof that food never tastes better than when it’s shared, when it’s discussed, when it is savoured by those who appreciate it. The lighting, a luminous mosaic of different collections that complement one another in the space while also creating a visual continuity, sets the scene for the cultural exchange that happens here.

Much more than simply being decorative the lighting is part of the architecture, dialoguing with it, with the public and the food itself. Adding to the gastronomic experience, highlighting the printed book as an object and celebrating aspects of food that go far beyond the kitchen.

Featured Products:
– Plusminus
– Musa
– Africa
– Mayfair
– Mayfair Mini
– Tempo