Texan studio Michael Hsu Office of Architecture borrowed from mid-century modern design to create the Balboa Surf Club restaurant, which features lush plants, rich-toned wood and green upholstery.
The upscale seafood restaurant is located in a shopping centre in Houston’s Uptown district.
The eatery’s design was influenced by vintage California coastal culture, particularly its use of mid-century modern design. Brutalist architecture also informed certain elements of the scheme.
“Mid-century residential notes are thoughtfully contrasted with elements inspired by Brazilian brutalism for a timeless feel,” said Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which has offices in Houston and Austin.
The restaurant is announced by a tall volume clad in vanilla stucco and wooden slats. The tower glows in the evening, giving the dining establishment a strong presence along Post Oak Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the city.
Just beyond the front facade is an entry courtyard filled with organic materials like wood and stone.
“Set against a warm stone facade, the entry court includes lush landscaping and hand-glazed, verdant green tiles,” the team said.
Within the split-level restaurant, one finds a central bar surrounded by several different dining zones.
In the lower area, daylight flows in through large windows, adding brightness to the space. The upper area is darker and moodier.
Richly toned wood is a defining element throughout the restaurant, as it was used on the bar, walls and floors. Wood was also used for furnishings, such as dining tables and booths.
Other materials found in the space include brass lighting fixtures and green leather upholstery.
Hung over a sushi bar is an undulating installation made of concrete strips, which is meant to make the space feel like “a stage for the sushi chef”.
Running along one side of the restaurant is an enclosed patio, which holds several seating areas, concrete planters and a fire pit with Adirondack-style chairs.
Other projects by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture include the conversion of a 1940s Houston church into an Asian smokehouse restaurant and the transformation of a stately, 110-year-old bungalow in Austin into an office for an investment firm.
The photography is by Chase Daniel.
