A very open and unique VIPS restaurant

In 2017 the restaurant chain VIPS decided to undertake the renovation of its restaurants and an expansion of its establishments throughout Spain. The famous chain from Madrid entrusted the studio Ilmio Design to give its restaurants a welcoming feel that would encourage people to meet up and spend time together.

Today we will show you the results at VIPS Beatriz, located in the central Madrid neighbourhood of Salamanca. Applying their philosophy of designing unique spaces, Italians Michele Corbani and Andrea Spada and their team have paid special attention to maintaining the personality of this iconic meeting place, a fixture in the capital since the 1980s. And the interior design of this place, which combines touches of the American diner and eighties psychedelia, takes us back to the years of the countercultural movement, ‘La Movida’.

The challenge for Ilmio Design was to conceptualise a project for an establishment that, as the new campaign ‘VIPS, very open’ highlights, is open from morning until night, serving from breakfast to dinner. “In a space of this kind where there is a high volume of people throughout the day, we needed a material with a high degree of durability”, says Ilmio Design. For this reason, coupled with the tight budgetary constraints of the project, they resorted to FINSA technical wood coated with melamine, using the Olmo Ontario design from our Gama DUO: “Thanks to the variety of products offered, FINSA melamine was a perfect fit for both the vertical walls and the tabletops, due to its contemporary and clean design and the range of colours available”.

The cladding of the walls with Finsa wood and the vinyl flooring slats in imitation walnut combine to create a warm and pleasant environment. The different types of seating, designed for groups and to encourage socialising, also help contribute to this. This is combined with a more suggestive atmosphere resulting from the striking architectural solutions such as the wide vaulted hallway lined in red or the large glassed-in hall with a central wooden palm tree. Perimeter lighting to reinforce this aesthetic is combined with appropriate spot lighting above the tables.

The VIPS Beatriz restaurant has been held up as a model and a guide for the transformation of the image of all the chain's restaurants and also for the opening of new establishments. It is a challenge to come up with a valid concept for so many restaurants located in very different geographical locations and environments, from city centres to suburban neighbourhoods and shopping malls. In all of them, the studio has relied on the durability and design of FINSA materials.

In addition, VIPS has a very strong image in the minds of its customers. That is why Ilmio Design approached their work by taking into account the concept representing the starting point of the project. One example is the chromatic dominance of the corporate red associated with the brand, found in the seats, ceilings or details such as lamps. A few months after this change of image, the project can only be described as a success, mainly due to the positive feedback from the users who are able to enjoy the final results.