ATID - Cafeteria 

As part of the renovation, the college cafeteria, which previously occupied a corner of the lobby, moved up to the previously deserted upper floor. The layout of this floor was anything but ordinary — sort of a narrow donut shape, complete with a hole in the middle. It felt like one big corridor that didn't lead anywhere. As if that wasn't enough, there was also a raised concrete step that skirted the entire indoor length of the outer wall. And it got worse from there — when we examined the plans, we saw that every few feet, there were (diagonal!) iron supports in the wall that resisted any simple solution.

Alongside this most unusual of challenges, there was also the 'regular' challenge of ensuring the cafeteria not only overcame these issues, but did so in a way that aligned it with the design brief of the rest of the college — custom carpentry, curved forms, bright colors and lots of natural light streaming in.

Limor and I rolled up our sleeves, pulled out a whiteboard, and got to work. It was clear from the beginning that this was an exceptional situation — and exceptional situations require exceptional solutions. We decided that the only way to deal with the concrete step was to embrace it and fold it into the design, making it not only part of the cafeteria, but the centerpiece of the entire room.

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Planning and interior design: Collaboration with Studio "InBetween"
Architectural photography: Yoav Peled
Executive contractor: Guy Arzi