Tartine Inner Sunset was instantly inspired by The Park, we have occupied the gardens ourselves for many years in many ways. This restaurant serves as the perfect post-park picnic – a hospitable extension of the constructed natural resource that anchors the neighborhood. The entry sequence is purely romantic – like entering Golden Gate Park, it’s the way “in” that sets the tone for your journey. Patrons enter through an existing roll-up door (relic) into an open-air walled garden with an aperture through the ceiling (surprise). Indoor vs. outdoor is a construct we don’t need – so we use every visual and tactile clue to blur the boundary: high ceilings and various skylights add loftiness to the greenhouse and are grounded by exterior tongue-and-groove siding and polished concrete floors.

Studio BBA was engaged to design Tartine’s fourth Bay Area restaurant while we were constructing The Manufactory LA, allowing for the emergent process of design to shape this new space (a former roofing warehouse with a rich history). We are continuing to iterate these ideas within their next location in Berkeley, in construction now. There is nothing to “roll out” and no mandates on continuity, only the desire to approach our circumstances with strategy and authenticity.

New custom elements relate via a play on white, with accenting materials pulled from The Sunset District. White factory-sash storefronts, sliding doors and the one-off pastry case evoke a greenhouse’s utility, and subtly nod to the custom details we developed for the Manufactory LA. Black & white terrazzo is ubiquitous in the neighborhood, used on stoops and window sills all over, and now used in the restaurant as counters and custom furniture. The back of house is as important; the intricately dialed-in details are flooded with natural light. Vibrant poppy-colored tile is installed to reference terracotta planters filled with California’s flora.