Photo: Aaron Leitz
Comedor Restaurant
Austin, Texas
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Design Principal
Tom Kundig
The design for this modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin establishes a protected urban sanctuary for Comedor’s progressive dining experience. Located on Fifth and Colorado, a busy intersection in Austin’s central business district, the new building takes a strong corner position to leave space for a protected open-air inner courtyard.
Quiet from the outside, inside visitors are transported to an urban oasis in the heart of Austin. A façade of dark brick interspersed with glass brick glows at night, piquing curiosity from the street, while screening interior spaces from direct view. The heart of Comedor is the interior courtyard which contains Palo Verde and Acacia trees and a small fountain. Over one-hundred-year-old exposed brick from the adjacent historical McGarrah Jessee Building lends texture and context to the courtyard, which opens to the elements to take advantage of Austin’s climate. The interior double-height, glass-wrapped dining space adjoins to the courtyard via four retractable guillotine window walls operated by hand cranks, allowing Comedor to open completely to the outdoors.
The driving idea for Comedor was a design that orchestrates between interior and exterior spaces. The protected inner courtyard allows the restaurant to open up completely during those great Austin nights, but also feel protected from the urban situation just outside.Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
Team
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Design Principal
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Project Manager
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Architectural Staff
Claire Fontaine
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Interior Design
Laina Navarro
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Interior Design Staff
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Gizmo Design
Awards
2022
Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award
LIV Hospitality Design Awards, Architectural Design of the Year – Eating Space
LIV Hospitality Design Awards, Architecture – Eating Space, Restaurant – Casual Winner
LIV Hospitality Design Awards, Architecture – Eating Space, North America Destination Winner
LIV Hospitality Design Awards, Interior Design – Eating Space, North America Destination Winner
2021
Gray Magazine Awards, Editor’s Pick
2020
Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards, Honorable Mention, Commercial Hospitality
2019
Eater Austin Awards, Design of the Year
Publications
2022
“Comedor – Restaurant Review.” Condé Nast Traveler Online, 2 Jul. 2022. Web.
Montes, Geoffrey. “The Art and Design Lovers’ Guide to Austin, Texas.” Galerie, 6 May 2022. Web.
“Olson Kundig.” Hospitality Interiors, 10 Feb. 2022. Web.
“Olson Kundig.” Hospitality Interiors, Jan./Feb. 2022, 60-66. Print.
2021
“Austin Restaurant Adds Mystery with Glass Brick Wall.” Architectural Products, May 2021, 18. Print.
“Comedor Restaurant.” Gray, Dec. 2021/Jan. 2022, 127. Print.
“Spotlight: Comedor Restaurant, 2021 GRAY Awards Finalist.” GRAY Magazine Online, 15 Oct. 2021. Web.
2020
“Best of the Best.” Architect’s Newspaper, 2 Dec. 2020. Web.
Camillo, Paola. “Tom Kundig.” Contract Book, #3 / Jul. 2020, 108-112. Print.
“Comedor.” Conde Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2020. Web.
Olley, Cat. “Escape.” Elle Decoration UK, Feb. 2020, 155-159. Print.
Seward, Aaron. “Take a Backseat.” Metropolis, Mar. 2020, 44-46, 48-50. Print.
Sharpe, Patricia. “The Best New Restaurants in Texas for 2020.” Texas Monthly, Mar. 2020. Web.
Sharpe, Patricia. “Where to Eat Now.” Texas Monthly, Mar. 2020, 88-103. Print.
2019
“Austin’s 2019 Eater Awards.” Eater Austin, 10 Dec. 2019. Web.
“Comedor Restaurant.” Archello, 17 Jul. 2019. Web.
Gangal, Sanjay. “Comedor Restaurant in Texas by Olson Kundig.” AECCafe, 19 Sep. 2019. Web.
Gordinier, Jeff. “The Best New Restaurants in America, 2019.” Esquire, Dec. 2019, 57, 58, 60, 62, 64-66, 68. Print.
Odam, Matthew. “Comedor’s sophistication is unmatched in Austin’s Mexican dining scene.” Austin American-Statesmen, 1 Nov. 2019, T1, T4, T5, T6, T7. Print.
Odam, Matthew. “Comedor’s sophistication unmatched in Austin’s Mexican dining scene: review.” Austin360, 30 Oct. 2019. Web.
Smisek, Peter. “Good Taste: New Restaurant Design.” Architonic, 25 Sep. 2019. Web.
Spezia, Karen O. “Comedor.” Tribeza Austin Curated, Oct. 2019, 118-119. Print.
Terrebonne, Jacqueline. “Austin Powers.” Galerie Magazine, Late Fall 2019, 60, 62. Print.
