Austin Restaurant Characterized by Artful Use of Glass

On the busy corner of Fifth and Colorado in Austin, Texas, a black brick building wraps around the block, and long segments of glass brick attract passersby with hints of what’s happening inside. Diners at Comedor— a modern Mexican restaurant helmed by chef Gabe Erales—enjoy natural light and views of the city thanks to the thoughtfully curated glass.

“The glass bricks provide a sense of intrigue about the experience within, drawing people into the restaurant,” explains Tom Kundig, owner and principal of Seattle-based firm Olson Kundig. “They bring daylight into the interior during the day and express the glow of the restaurant interior at night.”

The use of glass plays a big part in the restaurant’s design. The L-shaped structure produces a contrast consisting of a formidable brick base topped by a translucent glass box. The steel-framed glass panes create a play of light and shadow across polished concrete floors inside the long, open dining space.

Comedor is the first project in Texas designed by the architecture firm. Local firm McKinney York worked with Tom Kundig and the entire design team as architects of record. Kundig honored Austin’s mild climate by siting the restaurant along the perimeter of the corner in order to generate an inner courtyard. Acacia and Palo Verde trees shade the al fresco dinning space while a geomatic fountain cools the air.

Known for including clever gadgets to encourage human-building interaction, Kundig didn’t disappoint with Comedor. The courtyard connects with the interior dining area through four contiguous window walls that slide up into the light box with manual crank wheels.

Oslon Kundig was careful to design the building to respect its existing environment. In addition to taking advantage of the local climate, Comedor’s courtyard also highlights its historic neighbor. Bricks more than a century-old—part of the adjacent McGarrah Jessee building—make up the fourth courtyard wall. The newer buildings in Austin’s central business district get highlighted as well with framed views from the light box atop the double-height dining area.

Dangling from within the glass box, an oversized light fixture—playfully titled “Spoons”—serves as functional art. Custom designed for the long, tall space by Olson Kundig, the kinetic fixture fills the entire length of the nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant. Kundig also designed a variety of warm leather and hickory wood seating elements to accommodate communal parties or dinner for two. A perforated metal ceiling backed by noise-absorbing material keeps smooth surfaces from bouncing too much sound around the space so groups large or small can talk comfortably.

Olson Kundig based Comedor’s architecture on contrasts—a dark solid building topped by a floating glass box; a bright open courtyard flowing into a cool, dim interior. These intentional contrasts work together to generate a place of refuge.

“Comedor is designed to feel private and secluded, though it occupies a busy urban corner,” says Kundig. “The entry to the restaurant is mid-block and relatively quiet, establishing Comedor as a kind of sanctuary within the city.”