Dezeen promotion: glass bricks designed by Seves animate the pared-back exterior of the Comedor Restaurant, which US architecture studio Olson Kundig has completed in Austin, Texas.
Located in the city's business district, the contemporary Mexican eatery is designed by Olson Kundig to disguise its interiors and create a sense of intrigue.
The utilitarian exterior features black brickwork and doors, broken up by a wall of Vetropieno Solid Glass Bricks that were produced by the glass block manufacturer Seves.
This glass brickwork provides distorted views of movements and colours inside the Comedor Restaurant without revealing its interior, which is intended to entice passersby.
Seves' Vetropieno Solid Glass Bricks were chosen for the project by Olson Kundig in collaboration with the on-site architect called Mckinney York Architects.
Navvab Taylor, an architect at Mckinney York Architects, said the glass bricks help create "a process of discovery upon entering the building".
"It was important to the owner to create a sense of mystery and not give away the view of the interior," Taylor added.
While creating this sense of intrigue, the Vetropieno Solid Glass Bricks ensure the building meets building regulations in Austin that require a certain percentage of transparency on exterior facades.
The design of the glass bricks also allowed them to be toothed and coursed together in continuous rows with the black bricks on the rest of the restaurant's facade.
The mystery created by the glass brickwork is matched by brass lettering outside the restaurant, which is designed to be obscure.
Inside, visitors are welcomed by an industrial bar and dining area. It features unexpectedly tall ceilings and large hand-cranked glass doors, which lead out to a brick-walled courtyard containing trees and a fountain.
To find out more about Seves products visit its website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Seves as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.