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Architects: Baranowitz Kronenberg Architecture Ltd
- Area: 535 m²
- Year: 2012
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Photographs:Amit Geron
Topolopompo is a fire kitchen restaurant inspired by the exotic culinary traditions of the East. Its fire is omnipresent not only in every single dish but also physically as a prominent and active participant in space.
Topolopompo alludes to a tribal bonfire seating of old where tales and myths crystallized into indigenous cultural heritage.
Inspired by landscapes of the East; fertile valleys, rice terraces and mountain tops, Topolopopo celebrates this morphology and introduces abundant possibilities for social gatherings along the route from the” valley” to the “mountain top”.
These social landscapes are dominated by a mythical Fire Dragon, the spirit behind Topolopompo. While It hovers all around the space veiling with its translucent golden tail the different landscapes, its movement brings about a rich sense of layering, mystery and ever changing presence of a primordial experience .
Its scales pattern - the 3d hexagon concrete tiles design- serve as a sensual backdrop for them all.
The light experience within is inspired by the soft and silky resonance of Asian paper lanterns and by the twinkling magical air of the fire-flies.
The lanterns bring to each of the communal tables a sense of a unique and intimate place while the joyful “fire-flies” echo the vigorous gatherings along the linear communal table.
The alcohol venue of Topolopmpo is prevailed by the traditional steam-baskets laid one on top of the other, re-inventing function and suggesting a new breed of a cultural surfaceimprinted with hundreds of years of craft and cooking traditions and a journey through time and place.
Topolopompo is made of Bamboo wood and Lava stone, both incarnate the eternal presence and importance of nature in our life.
