Visualise entering a restaurant where a tremendous wood carp is suspended from the ceiling, its presence surreal, as though part of some mischievous fantasy. Glowing in a way that appears almost animated, the carp enjoys a view across the room, its darting eyes eagerly surveying all who dine there. Cleverly playing with our imagination, this carp is the sublime and heady creation of Inocuo The sign & LZF Lab. Known as Koi, it awaits diners in a new restaurant concept for the Spanish edition of MasterChef.
Now in its fourth season, the Spanish MasterChef incorporates a colourful and cosy earthy-style restaurant. Created by interior designer Ulia Loureiro, the restaurant combines an array of tactile materials, including wood, glass, ceramics and metal. Setting the stage for the MasterChef participants, it is a rustic and radiant space that welcomes guests with gusto. Presiding over the entire affair is LZF’s magnificent Koi. Part pendant, part sculpture, the Koi is a phantasmal wood creature and an ornamental light whose decoration is compelling.
Koi has an ethereal quality that gives rise to a sense of wonder and a magnetism that captures the eye, heart and mind. An imposing and enchanting centrepiece, Koi cuts a striking figure, one that is dashing and daring. A part of LZF’s Life Size collection. the Koi is made using the traditional Vareta technique, used for making the large sculptures burned in the Valencia Fallas Festival. The overlaying wood veneer that is used to cover the structure as though they were fish scales is referred to by LZF as the “Koi Fabric”. The Koi design incorporates a wood frame that is used to support its “skin”, an outer layer made with small wood veneer pieces and is a veritable wonder to behold.
As a feature of the new MasterChef restaurant, the Koi is perhaps something of a three-dimensional allegory. It can be interpreted as representing inventiveness and passion, craft and dexterity, fortitude and brilliance, all qualities found in any great chef. Above all, it is a combination of intelligent artisanship and fun, a piece to admire and enjoy for its playful manner.
Images courtesy of RTVE
