Xokol Restaurant / ODAmx + Rubén Valdez
Textual content description supplied by the architects. Positioned within the neighborhood of Santa Tere in Guadalajara, Xokol is a restaurant wherein the act of consuming turns into a collective ritual. The structure of the area acts as a catalyst for the reinterpretation of Mexican culinary traditions and a communal eating expertise wherein the boundaries between diners, employees, and meals preparation are non-existent.
Based in 2017 in a small area that housed solely 4 tables and 16 diners, Xokol moved in 2020 to the location of a former mechanic’s workshop. The intention was to embrace the bigger web site whereas sustaining the intimacy of the unique location. A single open area homes a kitchen and eating room wherein diners share a 15-meter-long desk and are each witnesses and actors within the ritual of making ready their dishes.
The outside of the constructing was modified as little as attainable with the unique facade left intact and uncooked metal plates appearing as a filter between inside and outside. The inside employs ash-colored stucco on the partitions and ceilings whereas the kitchen’s comal ovens are lined in black clay. These muted tones foreground the naturally wealthy coloration palettes of the dishes. All supplies are domestically sourced and all fixtures, reminiscent of the big oak eating desk and metalwork for lamps and fermenting cabinets, are handcrafted by native artisans.
