Chispa

In the heart of Chamberí, Chispa Bistró unfolds as a sensory refuge where culinary craft, raw materiality, and light converge in a dense, elegant, and vibrant atmosphere. Conceived by Fondo Studio as a radical exploration of the contemporary bistro, the project begins with a clear premise: to strip the space bare, reveal its original layers, and amplify the experience of fire. The lighting design by Light & Studio responds to this vision with the technical sensitivity and narrative intent that define all our work.

The design brief was shaped by the clear vision of Juan D’Onofrio and Gabriel Sodré, internationally trained chefs whose gastronomic proposal revolves around open fire cooking, unadorned produce, and sauces as a sensory narrative. Their cuisine, grounded in techniques such as curing, fermenting, pickling, smoking, and grilling, called for a ra,w honest setting free of decorative excess. A space where diners are part of the process and the kitchen—always visible—becomes both backdrop and stage.

The restaurant occupies the ground floor of a heritage-listed building from 1907. A monumental entrance leads into soaring ceilings, cast-iron columns, and brick walls resting on a granite base. Here, the architecture is not dressed up—it is exposed. In the dining room and kitchen, all surface layers were removed to reveal the essentials: granite, mortar, brick, and original structural elements. Under carefully choreographed lighting, these imperfect materials acquire dignity, texture, and presence.

The lighting design acts as a narrative thread, weaving together the kitchen and dining room in a kind of invisible bridge that translates fire into light. From the upper part of the open kitchen, a series of custom-designed metal tubes emerges like incandescent filaments. Each launches a warm spark of light—represented by 2300K opal tubes—that travels across the ceiling toward every table. On the walls, circular wall washers cast grazing light that enhances the texture of the exposed brick. And at the service points, narrow-beam 10°projectors highlight each dish with precision, as if pouring the very energy of the embers onto the plate.

The fully dimmable system allows for modulation of intensity and atmosphere throughout the day. Warm color temperatures, directional distributions, and programmable scenes enhance the perception of space and materiality. The lighting track runs at the same height as the linen curtains, creating a shared visual horizon that orders the space without imposing hierarchy.

In the bar and transitional areas, light builds perspective without sacrificing intimacy. A row of recessed fixtures reinforces the linearity of the counter, while small decorative luminaires add warm, inviting accents. Every gesture is designed to support the act of dining, not to distract from it.

The custom-made furniture in dark wood answers a specific request from the chefs: all tables had to be round, with a view of the kitchen. This ensures that the ritual of fire remains present in every conversation. For those seated with their backs to the kitchen, a large circular mirror placed near the stairs acts as a reflective periscope. Light, here too, is a mediator.

At the opposite end of the room, a cherry-colored wine cellar incorporates the service doors and serves as a chromatic counterpoint to the kitchen. This deep tone is echoed in the suspended element that frames the pass, visually capping the kitchen and housing the origin point of the entire lighting system. Together, these elements generate a visual and structural dialogue that articulates the space.

The restrooms, located on the lower ground floor, are conceived as a scenographic surprise: a mirror-clad vestibule bathed in cool light conceals cubicles that, when opened, reveal a striking red glow—a wink to the fire, the contrast, the unexpected.

The entire project was designed according to the criteria of efficiency, comfort, and expressive coherence, integrating scene control through DALI protocol. In Chispa, light is not just atmosphere: it is narrative, rhythm, and a translation of the spatial and gastronomic concept.