Captivating Transformation: Chez Tex Bistro on Main Street

Chez Tex, a bistro located in the Venice neighborhood, is a project that beautifully transforms a challenging 1921 manufacturing shell. Designed by Protz Studio, a Tucson-based architecture and design practice run by a husband-and-wife team, this bistro aims to create a provocative atmosphere for gathering on Main Street.

To make the most of the beach climate and provide day and night flexibility, the boundary between the street and the interior has been cleverly thickened. This not only serves as a waiting area but also provides additional seating for events. The design incorporates floor-to-ceiling steel and glass folding doors, allowing natural light and refreshing ocean breezes to permeate the space. Moreover, an accessible ramp has been incorporated into the design, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the experience.

One of the most striking features of Chez Tex is its hovering ceiling, which cleverly conceals lighting and mechanical services. Its reflective finish not only adds visual interest but also bounces light deep into the space, creating an airy and inviting ambiance. The dining area preserves the original palette of brick, steel, wood, and concrete, adding compatible elements such as a concrete bar and curb with wooden seating, shelving, and tables on steel legs.

While the steel-clad kitchen volume offers a glimpse of the chef through a thin window, the most unexpected surprise awaits in the back. The bathrooms are adorned with vibrant colors, featuring cove-lit white, blue, and yellow ombre tiled walls that immerse guests in captivating patterns. These ceramic tile installations, designed, screen printed, and fired by Protz Studio, are completely unique to the restaurant. The overall pattern, composed of singular tiles, was left to the discretion of the installer, following a few simple rules of orientation and adjacency.

In addition to the intricate bathroom tiles, the dining space also showcases a subtle white-on-white stencil along the walls. This custom-designed pattern, reminiscent of drywall mud strokes, adds an element of surprise and visual intrigue to the space. Despite working with a tight budget, the Chez Tex project successfully creates moments of surprise and delight through a small number of carefully chosen elements and a few nods to tradition.

Chez Tex, brought to life by Protz Studio, is a testament to their skill in transforming a challenging 1921 manufacturing shell into a captivating bistro. With its thoughtful design and attention to detail, this project invites locals and visitors alike to experience a truly unique and memorable dining atmosphere on Main Street.

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