Toast

ATLAS was approached to build an extension for the restaurant Toast, part of the Orchid Hotel historic courtyard complex, on an outer terrace of the existing space. The client wanted a year-round space that would give more room for dining in the winter and yet still feel open to the elements in the warmer seasons. Drawing from historic greenhouse references the domed structure was created to enclose the space but maintain a connection to the gardens around it. In order to lessen the structural weight of a transparent roof the studio experimented with using the technically advanced plastic, ETFE, the same material used in Beijing’s well-known Watercube swimming stadium that was built for the 2008 Olympics. The window / walls were made from a highly transparent vinyl that could be automatically rolled up in the summer months, opening the space to the elements. A sharp attention to detail and the minimization of any visual breaks in the structure allow the nature outside to speak loudest. The result is a smoothly functioning, transformable structure that can climatically adapt to different conditions.