Isay Weinfeld

Gero Restaurant is located in the district of Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro. The 830 m² ground-level building practically takes up the whole lot, freeing up a surrounding paved area that follows the curve of the corner as an extension of the sidewalks.
The second functional zone corresponds to the kitchens and technical areas supporting food preparation and stocking, as well as staff locker and restrooms, and offices. One of the project’s decisions that makes evident and highlights the importance of the activities related to food preparation is the window into the kitchen used to prepare pasta dishes, right at the entrance. The restaurant’s operational and supporting areas share a large area with the dining room, defined by a top that slopes from the slab at the front block supporting it. A shed opening, at the point the two tops meet, contributes to the internal lighting and creates a lit strip of frosted glass, crowning the main façade.
The dining room fans out, from the bar, towards a terrace covered by a pergola and the small lawned garden, nestled between the walls. In the large spaces offered the patrons the chestnut shades of the wood on the ceiling, the furniture, and the brown-brick wall prevail, contrasting with the light shades on the floor, the walls and the furnishings. The indirect natural lighting that floods the room from the shed and veranda openings enhances the feeling of thermal comfort and coziness, particularly important for a restaurant in a seaside city, with hot and moist climate.