Petros Restaurant, Manhattan Beach, California

This Greek restaurant is located within the mixed-use complex Metlox (which we also designed). The design embraces the spare and rustic qualities of Greek aesthetics, but translates these into more typical American construction methods. Niches, often found in Greek interiors, are abstracted and rendered at different scales and depths—in one instance framing a Greek artifact, at another, diners at their tables. Ash wood accents and a synthetic version of Thassos marble are other contemporary translations of Greek traditions. Together these motifs function as decorative elements and spatial organizers, highlighting the ritualized display and voyeurism inherent in restaurant dining.