PALUTO
REDEFINE/REFINE
TYPOLOGY     COMMERCIAL
LOCATION       CITY OF MANILA, METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES
YEAR                   2018

PALUTO is a community-based dining concept that currently has several branches in the City of Manila. Their extensive menu are direct interpretations of home-cooked meals that Filipinos grew up with. As such, their architecture mimics an aesthetic that the public have been accustomed to – locally sourced materials (sometimes left unfinished) composed in a form of chaotic order. Visually, the play of materials gives an extensive textured quality to the restaurant spaces. However, this approach leads to a lack of formal sensibility.

The new look for PALUTO is driven by an interpretation of what a Filipino restaurant should be – open, spacious, diversified but organized, and evoking the sensibilities of the people. Its aim is to redefine the brand, then refine for further development.

The architecture was derived from the simple roof form of the “bahay kubo”, which was strategically altered to create an identity for the brand. The pitched roof of the “bahay kubo” sloping on four sides were translated as a two-sloped roof form – to achieve familiarity while accommodating the programmatic requirements of a roof deck. The new form evokes the familiarity of home, but with the gesture that is guided by function.

Inside, the use of local materials was maintained but were carefully organized to avoid visual clutter. Material application was carefully implemented for ease of maintenance and for aesthetic adaptation in the future. The restaurant also maintains an open layout for uninterrupted movement of both patrons and staff.

The new visual identity of PALUTO puts them in a competitive position in the increasingly demanding market of culinary concepts.