Spanish Flavour in the Heart of the Big Apple

Little Spain is more than just a Spanish food court in the middle of New York City. It’s an innovative space that fully captures and celebrates the flavour and culture of Spain.

The famous Spanish chef, José Andrés has achieved his aim of bringing authentic Spanish cuisine to New York and also in creating a space that reflects the country. The sophisticated space welcomes visitors to savour the top-quality produce on offer. It’s the result of “three years of constant excitement, hardship, and creative bliss,” led by the architect Juli Capella, from the Capella García Arquitectura studio.

Capella comments, “It was a challenge to create not just a sample of Spanish cuisine, but also reflect the country’s vibrant culture. When you design a space, you sell more than just food. There’s a cultural experience, an atmosphere and an underlying focus on culture and art which permeates everything. In this era of globalisation, what’s essential is a strict adherence to authenticity.”

A Love Letter to Spain

According to the architect, this project enjoys three direct sources of inspiration: markets, typical small Spanish towns, and the food itself. The very colour of the fruit, fish, paella or sangria has been used to make up the palette of hues and textures. Capella adds, “Little Spain is more than just a food court, market or restaurant. Aesthetically it could also be defined as a series of culturally-representative culinary stands. Or, as a small town with its streets and main square where people gather to talk, celebrate, eat and drink.”

Artists such as Javier Mariscal, Oscar Mariné, Sergio Mora and Mikel Urmeneta have contributed to the space. The Lo Siento team has also joined in on the graphic design side of the project. This brings an authentic selection of Spanish creativity to New York. As a Spanish surfacing producer, Cosentino, was a key part of the project from the start, with its surface used throughout.

Cosentino Products

Capella chose Cosentino materials for two reasons; their performance and their Spanish heritage. Silestone® quartz was used for the bars in the stands, as well as for the wall cladding. The ultracompact surface, Dekton® was chosen due to its high resistance to wear and tear plus its ability to withstand heat. Its large format of vertical panels also provided a design benefit. “[Dekton® and Silestone®] provided had a range of colours and textures that were resistant and reliable which, in a place with so much traffic such as this, was fundamental,” he says.

Santiago Alfonso, Vice President of Marketing and Communication for the Cosentino Group, commented, “We pleased to collaborate once more with José Andrés on this impressive complex. It is a concept that combines tradition with a modern interpretation of our cuisine. It represents a meeting point for the most talented chefs, suppliers, designers and artists in the country. Our products had to be there. Without a doubt, they help to improve the experience because of the design and the quality they provide.”

A Harmonious Palette

Cosentino has supplied nearly 210 slabs (almost 700 m2 of material in total) of Dekton® and Silestone®. The different Dekton® shades used, include Entzo, Makai, Kelya, Aura 15, Fiord, Tundra and Kairos. Silestone®, the leading global brand of quartz surfaces, was also used throughout in various shades, including White Platinum, Calacatta Gold, Blanco City, Ariel and Tigris Sand. A stand out feature is a spectacular bar in Pearl Jasmine that is 3 cm thick.

On the decision to use such varying designs, Juli Capella explains, “To design the 18 food and beverage stalls of Mercado Little Spain, we curated a palette of materials, textures and colours that reflected each type of product. For the cured ham stand, reddish tones and rustic textures were used. On the fish stand, bluish tones and smooth shiny surfaces. Whilst on the cake stand, colourful textures and materials were used.”

In addition, the project also has an exclusive culinary space, with a secret room: A3 (Andrés, Adrià, Albert). The wall, flooring and table/ kitchen is entirely made of Dekton® Kairos, with space for just 10 guests to dine at the table.

In all, the final result of Little Spain is much more than bringing a bit of Spanish flavour to the heart of New York. It’s a “living organism” which now, New Yorkers and visitors alike can make their own.

 

Project Details

Name: Mercado Little Spain

Location: 10 Hudson Yards, West 30th Street, NY

Total surface: 3,200 m2

Opening date: 15 March

Architecture Studio: Capella García Arquitectura

Promoted by: José Andrés, in collaboration with the Adrià brothers

Cosentino Materials:

Applications: Covers, decorative materials, bars, countertops

Material: Dekton® and Silestone®.

Colours:

• Dekton®: Entzo, Makai, Kelya, Aura 15, Fiord, Tundra, and Kairos.
• Silestone®: White Platinum, Calacatta Gold, Blanco City, Ariel, Tigris Sand and Pearl Jasmine.

Quantity: nearly 700 m2

Highlight of the project:

Spectacular 3 cm-thick bar in Silestone® Pearl Jasmine.