Bamboo Restaurant / Jorge Kelleher

Architects: Jorge Kelleher
Area: 245 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: The Polf
Manufacturers: DMT, Fester, Guadua Angustifolia
Lead Architects: Jorge Kelleher, Farut Varon, Diego Mendoza , Rodrigo sanchez.
Parametric Design: Diego Mendoza
Concept Design: Rodrigo sanchez
Structure: Farut Varon
Use: Restaurant
City: Playa del Carmen
Country: Mexico

The Bamboo Restaurant, designed by Jorge Kelleher, is located at the Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen hotel, inspired by the region’s vegetation and organic geometries. Using biomimetic principles, the design mimics leaf anatomy, with metal supports forming curved columns that transition into beams, creating a flowing cover. Bamboo is key, shaping beams and perpendicular logs that emulate leaf ribs, while Guadua angustifolia columns reinterpret plant stems with naturalistic inclinations. A roof of woven bamboo slats forms a rhomboidal pattern, blending structure with organic form. Advanced 3D modeling simulated bamboo behavior, optimizing materials and costs, merging technology and nature into an innovative, efficient architectural solution.

The bamboo structure, located at the Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen hotel, was designed to house one of its restaurants. Offering views of a body of water and other amenities, the design draws inspiration from the region’s endemic vegetation and organic geometries. The roof takes its form from the structural principles of leaves, consisting of a flat lamina and a petiole that provides central support and connects to the stem. This biomimetic approach results in a lightweight, flexible, and unique architectural design that envelops visitors while showcasing the elegant functionality of its elements.

The initial supports consist of metal components specifically designed for the project, serving as the main base from which the central columns originate. These columns, resembling plant petioles, curve and fold back on themselves to become beams and contours, forming an organic shape that flows seamlessly across the cover. Bamboo is a key material in this design, as its unique properties make it possible to craft such beams with precision.

From these beams, symmetrically perpendicular logs extend, forming a roof structure that mimics the function of leaf ribs for support.

The columns serve as the final support for the structure, crafted from Guadua angustifolia logs. These logs break the rigid verticality of conventional columns, transforming them into ornamental elements that reinterpret plant stems. Emerging upward from a common axis, the columns feature unique inclinations, mirroring the natural growth patterns found in nature.

Above this, the roof layer consists of an interwoven framework of bamboo slats, forming a rhomboidal weaving pattern. This subtle detail becomes noticeable from the interior, contrasting with the underlying grid and square arrangement. When multiplied exponentially, this structure transitions into an organic, curved form.

Various software tools were used to create a 3D model that simulated the behavior of bamboo, enabling precise material quantification and cost estimation. This fusion of technology and nature is a hallmark of bamboo construction, refining methods for greater efficiency while showcasing a distinctive architectural approach with the potential to offer innovative solutions for future spaces.