Everyday building materials are arranged in an unconventional way at this Bogotá restaurant, which ensconces guests in brick-lined, stucco-plastered rooms.

Architects Lorenzo Botero and Martín Mendoza collaborated on IDEAL’s interiors, transforming what was previously a three-storey house into a series of indoor and outdoor dining spaces.

The emphasis is on natural materials such as wood, copper, terracotta and linen, which complement the architects’ use of what Botero calls ‘common construction materials’. ‘An atmosphere of harmony is composed between warm tones and special textures,’ he says.

Stacked bricks, arranged without grouting, cover the walls of the restaurant, appearing alongside textured plaster made using a metal trowel and a mix of white paint and river sand. Their earthy tones are echoed by leather seating, bronze and rattan light fittings, and shafts of sunlight streaming in through IDEA’s banks of windows.

Things feel a little airier in the restaurant’s outdoor areas, where potted lavender, olive trees and rosemary introduce some greenery and louvred screens keep the sun under control.

IDEAL serves modern American fare with a meaty slant. Think brisket tacos, sweet chilli and orange salsa pork belly, and rib-eye steak with garlic butter.

Cl. 80 #8 – 34, Bogotá, Colombia

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