Design concept · Restaurants & cafés
The Vaulted Grill
A family grill restaurant under a run of low brick vaults, where each bay holds one large table and the charcoal grill is the room's centre of attention.
The concept brief
Design narrative
A concept for a 420 m² family grill restaurant in Cairo.
Grill restaurants in Cairo are family occasions: tables of eight or ten, several generations, long meals. This concept gives each family its own room without closing a door. A sequence of shallow barrel vaults in handmade brick, lime-washed to a warm off-white, divides the dining hall into bays, and each bay holds one generous table under its own curve. The vaults lower the perceived scale of a large room and make a busy weekend evening feel like a gathering at home.
The charcoal grill sits at the end of the central aisle behind a tall glass screen and a bronze hood, so guests see the fire without its heat or smoke. Extraction and supply air run along the spine of the vaults, out of sight, and the soft brick, cane-backed chairs and wool-felt panels between bays temper the sound of a full house. A terracotta floor, dark oak tables and warm cove light along each vault complete a palette robust enough for daily family use.
- Nature
- Studio concept study — not a client project
- Typology
- Restaurants & cafés
- Setting
- Egypt
Design concept · Visualisation
Concept visualisations
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production 
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production 
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production
Materials
Material palette
- Lime-washed brickThe vaults and bay walls
- Terracotta tileDining hall floor
- Dark-stained oakFamily tables and service stations
- Woven caneChair backs and screens
- Black basaltGrill counter and pass
- Patinated bronzeGrill hood and light fittings
Key design moves
- 01One table, one vaultBrick vaults divide the hall into bays, each holding a single large family table.
- 02Fire in viewThe charcoal grill sits behind glass and a bronze hood at the end of the central aisle.
- 03Air in the spineExtraction and fresh air run hidden along the crown of the vaults.
- 04A softer full houseBrick, cane and wool felt absorb the sound of large family gatherings.
Design concepts
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