CAN TERRA is conceived as a contemporary Mediterranean food hub within the dynamic context of Mallorca’s airport. The project interprets the traditional Mallorcan bar and market stall as an open, permeable island that welcomes transient users while retaining a clear identity. The architectural language is deliberately clean and linear, creating a calm and legible environment inside the otherwise intense airport circulation flows.
The central idea is to articulate a “green spine” that organizes service, bar, and seating areas, bringing the landscape of the island into the terminal. This vegetated line, suspended and integrated in the ceiling and perimeter elements, becomes the recognizable signature of the restaurant and reinforces its territorial link to Mallorca.
The layout is structured around a large central island bar, clearly visible from all approach directions. This island acts as an anchor in the food court, ensuring natural wayfinding and facilitating intuitive movement around it. Auxiliary counters and preparation zones are embedded in the island core, allowing efficient radial service to the surrounding seating rings.
Seating is distributed in concentric layers: a primary ring of high tables and stools close to the bar, where quick consumption and interaction with staff are prioritized, and an outer layer of lower tables for longer stays and family groups. The absence of heavy partitions ensures visual continuity with the terminal, while subtle level changes in ceiling height and lighting define the restaurant’s boundaries without interrupting flows.
The project employs a restrained palette that balances airport robustness with the warmth of hospitality. Floors are finished in a terrazzo-like polished surface, chosen for its durability, ease of maintenance, and capacity to reflect light, enhancing brightness. The bar and furniture combine matte black metal structures with timber accents, creating a contemporary yet timeless character.
The ceiling is a key compositional element: a field of white linear baffles contrasts with the dark, continuous soffit over the restaurant area. This duality emphasizes the spatial footprint of CAN TERRA and improves acoustic absorption. Green vegetation and select touches of fresh color linked to signage and branding introduce the Mediterranean vibrancy without overwhelming the neutral base.
Lighting design orchestrates a clear hierarchy between transit space and dining area. A uniform, diffuse ambient light over the public concourse transitions into a warmer, more intimate lighting inside the restaurant boundaries. Pendant luminaires, suspended at varied heights, generate a human scale beneath the expansive terminal volume and articulate different seating clusters.
Integrated linear lighting within the ceiling baffles and under the bar counter accentuates the horizontality of the design and reinforces visual guidance. Skylight apertures and high-level openings, where available, are framed to allow natural light to reach the interior, strengthening the perception of an open, daylight-filled Mediterranean setting.
Furniture is lightweight, stackable, and flexible, allowing quick reconfiguration based on passenger flows and operational needs. A mix of communal tables, two-tops, and bar seating caters to solo travelers, couples, and groups alike. Perforated metal panels, planters, and low mesh screens subtly define micro-environments without blocking transparency or surveillance.
Details such as integrated charging points, luggage-friendly circulation clearances, and wide turning radii respond specifically to the airport context. Material junctions are designed for robustness, with protected edges and easily replaceable components to extend the service life of finishes under high-traffic conditions.
Sustainability is approached through both passive and operational measures. The open, perimeter-free configuration promotes natural cross-ventilation within the terminal’s overall HVAC strategy, reducing the need for localized mechanical systems. The reflective flooring and high-efficiency LED lighting lower energy consumption while maximizing the effect of available daylight.
Vegetation is not merely decorative but acts as a soft acoustic buffer and contributes to indoor air quality. Materials are selected with an emphasis on durability and low maintenance, minimizing replacement cycles and associated resource use. Modular furniture, demountable bar elements, and standardized metal structures allow future adaptation, reuse, or relocation, aligning the project with circular design principles appropriate for evolving airport infrastructures.
CAN TERRA is conceived as a contemporary Mediterranean food hub within the dynamic context of Mallorca’s airport. The project interprets the traditional Mallorcan bar and market stall as an open, permeable island that welcomes transient users while retaining a clear identity. The architectural language is deliberately clean and linear, creating a calm and legible environment inside the otherwise intense airport circulation flows.
The central idea is to articulate a “green spine” that organizes service, bar, and seating areas, bringing the landscape of the island into the terminal. This vegetated line, suspended and integrated in the ceiling and perimeter elements, becomes the recognizable signature of the restaurant and reinforces its territorial link to Mallorca.
The layout is structured around a large central island bar, clearly visible from all approach directions. This island acts as an anchor in the food court, ensuring natural wayfinding and facilitating intuitive movement around it. Auxiliary counters and preparation zones are embedded in the island core, allowing efficient radial service to the surrounding seating rings.
Seating is distributed in concentric layers: a primary ring of high tables and stools close to the bar, where quick consumption and interaction with staff are prioritized, and an outer layer of lower tables for longer stays and family groups. The absence of heavy partitions ensures visual continuity with the terminal, while subtle level changes in ceiling height and lighting define the restaurant’s boundaries without interrupting flows.
The project employs a restrained palette that balances airport robustness with the warmth of hospitality. Floors are finished in a terrazzo-like polished surface, chosen for its durability, ease of maintenance, and capacity to reflect light, enhancing brightness. The bar and furniture combine matte black metal structures with timber accents, creating a contemporary yet timeless character.
The ceiling is a key compositional element: a field of white linear baffles contrasts with the dark, continuous soffit over the restaurant area. This duality emphasizes the spatial footprint of CAN TERRA and improves acoustic absorption. Green vegetation and select touches of fresh color linked to signage and branding introduce the Mediterranean vibrancy without overwhelming the neutral base.
Lighting design orchestrates a clear hierarchy between transit space and dining area. A uniform, diffuse ambient light over the public concourse transitions into a warmer, more intimate lighting inside the restaurant boundaries. Pendant luminaires, suspended at varied heights, generate a human scale beneath the expansive terminal volume and articulate different seating clusters.
Integrated linear lighting within the ceiling baffles and under the bar counter accentuates the horizontality of the design and reinforces visual guidance. Skylight apertures and high-level openings, where available, are framed to allow natural light to reach the interior, strengthening the perception of an open, daylight-filled Mediterranean setting.
Furniture is lightweight, stackable, and flexible, allowing quick reconfiguration based on passenger flows and operational needs. A mix of communal tables, two-tops, and bar seating caters to solo travelers, couples, and groups alike. Perforated metal panels, planters, and low mesh screens subtly define micro-environments without blocking transparency or surveillance.
Details such as integrated charging points, luggage-friendly circulation clearances, and wide turning radii respond specifically to the airport context. Material junctions are designed for robustness, with protected edges and easily replaceable components to extend the service life of finishes under high-traffic conditions.
Sustainability is approached through both passive and operational measures. The open, perimeter-free configuration promotes natural cross-ventilation within the terminal’s overall HVAC strategy, reducing the need for localized mechanical systems. The reflective flooring and high-efficiency LED lighting lower energy consumption while maximizing the effect of available daylight.
Vegetation is not merely decorative but acts as a soft acoustic buffer and contributes to indoor air quality. Materials are selected with an emphasis on durability and low maintenance, minimizing replacement cycles and associated resource use. Modular furniture, demountable bar elements, and standardized metal structures allow future adaptation, reuse, or relocation, aligning the project with circular design principles appropriate for evolving airport infrastructures.
Our offices are located in Barcelona, Cancún, Chicago and Santo Domingo, but thanks to technology we can do projects on all over the world.
Barcelona
Bac de Roda 136
08020, Barcelona
Spain
Madrid
Av. de Buendía 11
19005 Guadalajara (Madrid)
Spain
Chicago
373 Hazel Ave, Apt A1
60022, Glencoe, Illinois
United States