The Osten bar-restaurant designed and built by the Hitzig Militello Arquitectos studio in the Argentine city of Buenos Aires transports the user to the transition stage that occurs between the last gasps of Art Deco and the beginning of the modern movement.

The main idea on which the restaurant is built arises from novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald such as The Crack-Up or The Great Gatsby, since we see how the restaurant mixes interior and exterior spaces whose inspirations go through stages such as the economic crash of the year 29, and the decadent glamor that followed, supported by scaffolding that reflects the last support of an era that was coming to an end.
Inside we see the Art Deco represented by Hitzig Militello Arquitectos in those scaffolds that support large sheet metal arches painted in a golden color but without shine or bombast, rather aged, that house representative spaces of the bar such as the bar, the staircase, or the seat perimeter. Modernity makes its appearance through the acrylic tubes that make up the lighting system.

Another important part of the project is the graphic identity that is fundamental throughout the project and that is observed in the restaurant's naming and its typography, present in many rooms, and through graphic techniques such as the stencil that appears on the project's walls. Regarding the composition of the restaurant, it can be classified as sober and elegant thanks to those dark green and blue tones that are used combined with the tones of old bronze.
 

Description of project by Hitzig Militello Arquitectos

The space reflects through the poetics of the temporality of the scaffolding the breaking point in the evolution from art deco to the new aesthetic order, the modernism. The idea was inspired by the exact moment of the economic crash of 29, inspired by the novel The Crack up by Scott Fitzgerald.

Osten is a cocktail bar and restaurant located in the distinguished neighborhood of Puerto Madero, in Buenos Aires. The total 460 sqm are divided in 310 sqm covered and 150 sqm exteriors.

At first glance there is a large corridor built with scaffolding and the name Osten on a sign hung on a perforated metal located at the main entrance that functions as a waiting room, as a result of an effect of provocation to discover the space step by step.

The corridor has 6 different arches that constitute the accesses to the general space. This is mainly due to the fact that these spaces can be isolated in order to divide the areas as private spaces.

The entrance to the bar is located at the end of the corridor, highlighted by a perforated metal with the bar's identity design. This corridor divides the entire space into two large areas of use and at the back a large bar.

The outdoor area can be accessed from the sidewalk or from a special access from the interior.

The presence of scaffolding as a support for an era that could no longer stand on its own. The essential characteristic of the scaffolding devices is ultimately the temporality of their use, and it is this word "temporality" that defines the end of that era of elegance and waste of money.

These scaffoldings support large sheet metal arches painted in bronze color, but without the brightness or grandiloquence, rather aged.

These arches host all the most representative areas of the bar, such as: the access through a large corridor, the large bar & its back, the staircase and the perimeter sitting. The nodes that hold each intersection of the scaffolding are aged with old bronze paint.

Modernism is represented essentially the inner skin constructed of concrete boards and marble applied over different areas. These mables panels are disposed in between the scaffolding structure, looking for a relationship between the elegant and the provisional.

Modernism also manifests itself in the lighting system where the two worlds are combined, the modern with its acrylic tubes and through the envelope with art deco drawings. In the same way the large luminaires that simulate chandeliers, hanging with acrylic tubes and chains that represent the caireles.

The graphic identity developed from the naming typography was applied in different areas, in the form of stencils on the walls and through perforations in metal sheets that also function as dividers. As a result of the typographic development, graphic pieces with feminine profiles have been developed and applied in the form of artistic paintings holded by the scaffolding system.

In the exterior area we have resolved, with the same identity elements as in the interior, as is the example of the scaffolding system to support the seat and the lighting system whose design is part of the family of elements of the interior. A large mural designed with elements of the typographic and iconographic family was developed by the brand's team.

The tonality of old bronze, dark green, light green and blue were the result of a sober and elegant composition.

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Architects
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Collaborators
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Pre-project collaborator.- Marina Kusznir. Work documentation.- Vanik Margossian. Construction management.- Marcela Bernat. Branding.- Remolino- Branding aplicado, diseño de mural & paterns.
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Builder
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Acontec S.A.
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Supplier
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Execution and art engineering.- Krapa. Detection facility.- Elca. Fire extinguishing and hydrants installation.- Felgueras. Furniture.- Fontenla. Furniture.- Ries. Granite countertop.- Pimux. Sound.- Neo technique. Standard lighting fixtures.- E27 lighting. Outdoor plants.- Jardines el ceibo. Special lighting fixtures.- Huup lighting. Kitchen equipment, refrigerators and cold room.- Lynch. Bar marble and room dividers.- Distefano. Camera system.- Ltc ar. Interior floor and exterior deck.- Patagonia. Air conditioning, air extraction and injection, provision of equipment.- Sda.
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Area
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Ground floor plan.- 310 sqm. Exterior.- 150 sqm.
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Dates
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2020.
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Location
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Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Photography
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Federico Kulekdjian.
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Hitzig Militello Architectos is an architecture firm founded in 2006 by Fernando Hitzig and Leonardo G. Militello. They focus on architecture and interior design projects with special emphasis on branded architecture design with long experience in F&B, leisure and hotel design. They have carried out projects in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

The office forms a cohesive and collaborative team through Estudiohma, shaped by multiple disciplines such as graphic designers, artist, F&B consultant. This implies a holistic way of working in order to achieve coherence under a totally integrated design concept

Their work has been awarded on numerous occasions, among them shortlisted finalist for the 2014 Biar Award in Argentina, Next Landmark 2014 and 2018 in Venice, 1st prize in the Design & Technical Summit Award 2018 organized by Accord in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2019 finalist at the Prix Versailles in Paris and winner with the best bar in America, in the London restaurant and bar design awards. Winner of the IIDA 2020 International interior design association award in Chicago. The World Confederation of Business organization has awarded them with an international recognition of business excellence, through The Bizz award of Houston.

Fernando Hitzig is an architect from the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the University of Buenos Aires FADU-UBA since 2002. In his first years from 2003 to 2005 he was a teacher at the Instituto di Design Madrid (IED Department of Architecture). In 2006 he founded his own studio together with Leonardo G. Militello, Hitzig Militello Architects.
Between 2006 and 2008 he taught at FADU University of Buenos Aires- Argentina. He is a founding member of Areatres, reivent your workplace, a joint development with his partners of the entire phases of the initial process, understanding the need of the market from 2009 to 2013. and from 2010 to 2013 he is a founding member of dormsba buenos Aires- student accomodation.

Leonardo G. Militello is an architect from the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the University of Buenos Aires FADU-UBA since 2003. In his first years from 2002 to 2004 he was a professor at FADU University of Buenos Aires-Argentina. In 2004 he carried out the FADU-UBA Professional Update Program: P.A.P. Project Update Program. In 2005 he completed a doctorate in Architectural Projects at UPC Departament de projectes Arquitectónicos at Universitat Politecnica De Catalunya. In 2006 he founded his own studio together with Fernando Hitzig, Hitzig Militello Architects. Between 2006 and 2008 he taught at FADU University of Buenos Aires- Argentina. He is a founding member of Areatres, reivent your workplace, a joint development with his partners of the entire phases of the initial process, understanding the need of the market from 2009 to 2013. and from 2010 to 2013 he is a founding member of dormsba buenos Aires- student accomodation.
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Published on: August 28, 2021
Cite: "A journey from Art Deco to contemporaneity. Osten by Hitzig Militello Arquitectos" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/a-journey-art-deco-contemporaneity-osten-hitzig-militello-arquitectos> ISSN 1139-6415
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