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Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Antidote to minimalism
An antidote to the prevalence of modern minimalism, as in painter Piet Mondrian’s Trafgalgar Square, in commercial establishments is probably what the Mondeños did with Aziza.
Their daughter lent her name to the restaurant, with everything else a fusion of baroque, Asian and personal signatures of the owners. Like the black crystal chandeliers—all one-of-a-kind; no twins anywhere in Cebu City—that cascade like jewels from the gray ceiling.
That is not the only concession to baroque-cum-Renaissance nuances. Whereas the foyer is Mondrian, with its understated tones, the main room is dressed by reproductions of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens’ Christ and Saint John with Angels and The Judgment of Paris, an interesting contrast any time.
The gray walls perfectly frame the dining area, while the glint of antique silver, such as the candelabrums, and the metal sculpture by Ann Pamintuan relieve the austerity.
It is a visual feast that does not cease with the aesthetic choices of accents. There’s the furniture, equally neutral in brown woven material that Luisa de los Santos designed for the restaurant. The lines are sleek and yet they breathe sophistication and the design offers comfort throughout the meal.
Incredibly the space can embrace only 32 people, the better to talk intimately or to just sit down to enjoy the wine. Which leads us to what the table can offer to the diner: French-Mediterranean cuisine. About 90 percent of the ingredients for the plates are obtained from Tinderbox’s deli.
But the judgment of the pudding is in the eating and Aziza has far better offerings than this plebian idiom in pastry.
(Location: Along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Ground Floor of The Tinderbox. Dress code: Formal or elegant attire.)
‘Sculpture’ fusing utility and beauty
Question: Where can you find woven, organic furniture?
Answer: Everywhere.
Perhaps we were not fair in how we posed the question. It should have had the qualifier: “A groundbreaking technique that is still being explored in the international arena.”
Stumped? Let Kenneth Cobonpue lead you to Z, the latest bar in Cebu, the sure-fire tambayan, where his talent shines through.
Kenneth is noted for revolutionizing furniture design, and is now doing it to a commercial space, in this case, Z, the first interior project of this genre. He used natural materials for the screens, which he patterned after his own invention, the kriskros.
You would be awed by the framework in Z’s main space—it approaches sculpture that fuses utility with beauty. The latticework of bamboo twigs, and steel tied with rattan splits blur the concept of paint, wall, sofa, diver, and accents. The whole configuration resembles a Venus Flower Basket, the skeleton of a kind of glass sponge, and totally gives you the feeling being sheltered and at the same time being given the freedom to enjoy the company of good friends.
The onyx floor has lights to give the lounge area a dreamy kind of illumination, and the rest of space, a subdued sense of being in another world. This same light gives the face a kind of glow so flattering, especially when one smiles.
This artistic creation could not have been executed without the collaboration of architect Ed Calma, who masterminded the modern exterior. Artist Estela Ocampo-Fernandez contributed to the design, and saw to it that every detail would be carried out.
Three Graces to make it work, and it is right next to us.
(Z is at the second floor of The Tinderbox, along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City. Dress code: Dress to impress (the idea is to standout.)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 29, 2006 issue)
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