Nuclo, a powerful cousine

For the second year running, Nuclo, the creative cuisine restaurant located in Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via exhibition centre, has received a “Repsol Guide Sun”, the prestigious Spanish gastronomy award that distinguishes an establishment as a sure bet because of its excellent work and the high quality of its cuisine.

Nuclo restaurant has received, for the second time, a “Repsol Guide Sun”, which again recognises not only its gastronomic level but also the elegance of the premises, designed by the Japanese architect, Toyo Ito, the richness of its wine cellar containing over 1,500 bottles and approximately 180 labels and, above all, the talent of its staff.

The judges of the Repsol awards are members of the Real Academia Española de la Gastronomía and the Cofradía de la Buena Mesa. Every year, using their own criteria and with the help of autonomous gastronomic academies, they decide which Spanish establishments deserve an award. Style of cuisine, location, service, wine cellar, town, level of gastronomy and quality-price ration are all taken into account.

This year, the same award has been given to other restaurants in Barcelona, such as El Cingle, Dos Cielos, Comerç 24, Coure, Evo, Hisop, Hofmann, La Dama and Roig Robí, among others. For the chef, Jordi Narro, the award is “a stimulus and motivation to continue working with the goal of making Nuclo a gastronomic reference in the capital and in Catalonia”.

Every day at lunchtime, Nuclo proposes a market menu made with fresh products, which includes a starter and a main course based on traditional cuisine, dessert, beverage and bread baked in the restaurant. Another option is the gastronomic menu, or the a la carte menu consisting of 25 dishes which vary according to the season.

Nuclo is open from Monday to Friday at midday, and at weekends during Fira de Barcelona’s trade shows held in the Gran Vía exhibition centre.

Barcelona, may 2010

Nuclo, the creative cuisine restaurant located in the new business area emerging between Barceona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, has received the prestigious Repsol Guide Sol award. The Guide’s experts highlighted exquisite cuisine, prepared by the chef Jordi Narro, the elegant decor, designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the high quality of service and the richness and variety of wines, stored in the glass bodega situated in the middle of the restaurant.

Nuclo restaurant now has yet another reason to be considered exclusive: a Sol award, given by Repsol and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, during a tribute to Catalan cuisine held on the 11th of June in Barcelona.  

The executive president of Repsol, Antonio Brufau; the councillor for Economy and Finance of the Catalan Generalitat, Antoni Castells; the president of the Royal Spanish Gastronomy Academy, Rafael Ansón, and the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Miquel Valls were present at the event.

In his speech, Ansón referred to the current magnificence of Catalan cuisine, which is experiencing one of its most relevant moments, and Brufau pointed out the Repsol Sol awards should be considered as “a distinction that rewards the good work of chefs and restaurateurs and that highlights quality as a differentiation factor”.

The features of Nuclo which have now been officially recognised and make it unique include Jordi Narro’s cuisine, Toyo Ito’s design, the bodega with over 1,500 bottles and approximately 180 labels and, above all, the value and talent of its staff.  

Nuclo has also increased its bill of fare with a new market menu which, for only 23 euros, offers clients a selection of starters and main courses based on traditional cuisine or one of chef Jordi Narro’s favourites: rice combined with fresh seasonal products. Desserts, bread baked in the Nuclo kitchen and a drink complete this interesting proposal. Other options are the executive menu, conceived to be eaten in under an hour and low in calories, and the “sampler” menu, a compendium of the chef’s gastronomic expertise. Another possibility is the a la carte menu consisting of 25 dishes which vary according to the season.   

Nuclo is open from Monday to Friday at midday and at weekends during Fira de Barcelona’s trade shows held in Gran Vía.

Barcelona, july 2009

The new business district growing between Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat has a new restaurant which combines designer cuisine, refined ambience and a select wine cellar: it is Nuclo , designed by the architect Toyo Ito and located in Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via exhibition centre.

Various reasons make Nuclo restaurant an exclusive place: the designer cuisine prepared by chef Jordi Narro and his team; the location in the metropolitan area's highest growth zone, intimately connected to the essence of Catalan industry; the design by one of the world's most prestigious architects, the Japanese Toyo Ito and the cellar featuring a selection of the finest signature wines that "marry" perfectly with the food.

The name "Nuclo" recalls the core of the atom's energy. The force is the concept which characterises the restaurant's physical surroundings, which Toyo Ito has harmonised in his architectural creation with nature, highlighting water, natural light and organic forms. 

In Nuclo, an open-plan welcoming space enhances the gastronomic experience. Its strength resides in the coherence which it shows in physical space and product, absolute star of its cuisine and the basis of all the creations of the chef, Jordi Narro. 

The Cellar, also designed by Toyo Ito, is another of the restaurant's attractions with over 1,500 bottles and approximately 180 labels.

The range of food includes an executive menu, conceived to be eaten in under an hour, based on light products, featuring vegetables, fish and grilled meat with a modern touch. It changes daily and is served at midday only. The gastronomic menu is the best option to enjoy Nuclo's designer cuisine: a compendium of the philosophy and cuisine of the chef, Jordi Narro.  Another possibility is the à la carte menu, consisting of 25 dishes which change according to the season.

The decoration of Nuclo has been chosen, down to the last detail, to create a sober and sophisticated ambience: for example, the crockery is from Le Coquette (Limoges) and the glassware from the German firm Riedel.

Nuclo is open from Monday to Friday at midday and at weekends when there is a trade show or exhibition being hel.

Barcelona, may 2008

The new business area growing between Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is now graced with a new gastronomic restaurant which combines signature cuisine with an elegant ambience and select wine cellar: Nuclo, designed by architect Toyo Ito, can be found in the foyer of Plaça Europa in the Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via exhibition centre.

Chef Jordi Narro promises a cuisine which is "authentic and showcases the product, one that is based on tradition yet still surprising."

Narro heads up a team of 12 professionals while maître d'hôtel and sommelier Víctor Amil is in charge of the dining area, where he hopes to give guests "superlative attention to achieve the very highest standards of service".

Nuclo is open from Monday to Friday for lunch, and at weekends when there is a trade show or exhibition being hel.

Barcelona, may 2008

My proposal is a cuisine of the senses, one that is real and respects the raw ingredients, based on Catalan traditions yet capable of bringing a fresh approach by creating new and surprising harmonies.

Jordi Narro (Barcelona, 1976) has had an interesting vocational training working alongside major chefs, both national and international. He has worked in various establishments, the majority of which have been awarded Michelin stars, such as "El Bulli", in Roses (Girona), Jean Luis "Neichel", in Barcelona and the restaurant "Ruccula" in Barcelona, with Joan Piqué. He has also worked in the kitchens of Relais Chateau Chapelle Saint Marti in Nieul Limousine (France), and the Bistrot Chez Alphonse de Limoges (France) More recently, he has done stints in the kitchens of Santi Santamaría in his "Santceloni" restaurant and at Joan Roca's "Celler de Can Roca". He has cooked in Singapore, Moscow, Estonia, Latvia, China and India to take Catalan cuisine abroad and learn the culinary arts of other cultures.

Since April 2001 he has been the chef at the L'Univers Gastronòmic restaurant at the Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via exhibition centre. Narro is now embarking on a new challenge as the chef of Nuclo, where he will be heading up a team of 12 professionals.

Jordi Narro's cuisine is based on two concepts: respect for the product and love of the profession. He proposes "a cuisine of the senses, one that is real and respects the raw ingredients, based on Catalan traditions yet capable of bringing a fresh approach by creating new and surprising harmonies", he says.

Narro puts his personal values into cuisine: he defends respect for the product –which must always be top quality-, authenticity of flavours and preparation executed with love and honesty "to highlight the essence of each food without adulterating it and to prepare dishes which are traditional but with a special touch.

"Food", adds Narro "on certain levels, is transformed into pure pleasure, even more intense in that the palate is intimately connected to the sphere of sentiments: there is nothing like a smell or taste to take us back to our childhood or evoke our memories. I want my creations for Nuclo to provide new and surprising experiences and to be a pleasure for the senses"

According to Narro "the present and the future of Catalan cuisine is based on preserving tradition, keeping roots and knowing how to adapt new flavours to our cuisine in a harmonious way, so that it evolves towards new forms of expression". In this sense, he believed that "crossbreeding is a way of including variations in our dishes to enrich them and make them more surprising. It then depends on individual taste, on the capacity to mix ingredients and on the common sense of the cook".

Narro prefers not to use the term "fusion" because sometimes "it is transformed into a confusion of flavours which is precisely what I want to avoid. My proposal is based on traditional cuisine prepared using avant-garde techniques". Narro adds that "Catalan cuisine comes from crossbreeding: it receives the influx from French, Mediterranean, Arab and mainland Spanish cuisine. Now, thanks to the presence of immigrants, it is even richer and more diverse and has incorporated more ingredients and spices. For this reason, it is a very attractive cuisine and an excellent base for creating".

His kitchen has an air of seriousness. The organisation is impeccable and he uses state of the art technological apparatus. The presentation of dishes is of vital importance: eating in a good restaurant is an experience for all senses and, according to Narro "some dishes are pleasing to the eye".

For the chef "catering, at a certain level, is not a business but a tool of personal expression. It is a way of surprising and transmitting concerns. The work of a cook is like any other craft: you must want to do it and enjoy doing it. My team in the Nuclo kitchen is made up of young, committed professionals, who feel totally identified with what they do. I also defend the recreational aspect… It sounds banal, but I have fun cooking and am lucky to be able to do it in an establishment like Nuclo, where clients can enjoy good cuisine and an enviable wine cellar which guarantees the best combinations".

Barcelona, January 2008

The difference that existed between interior and exterior architecture of the 20th century is disappearing. There should be no limits as the buildings should be part of the ambience which, in turn, should penetrate into the buildings.

Born in 1941, Toyo Ito graduated from Tokyo University's, Department of Architecture in 1965. After working in the studio of Kiyonori Kikutake, in 1971 he started his own studio, Urbot (Urban Robot) in, which eight years later became what is now Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects Throughout his early career Toyo Ito constructed numbers of private housing projects that revealed the hidden layer of urban life in Japan. Ito is known for creating extreme conceptual architecture, in which he seeks to melt the physical and virtual worlds. With private housing projects, such as White U in 1976 and Silver Hut in 1984, he laid the foundations for a new conception of life in urban centres.  

His most outstanding works in Japan include the Aluminium house in Kanagawa (1971); the aforementioned White U house, in Nakano, Tokyo (1976); Silver Hut, the architect's own house in Tokyo (1984); Tower of Winds, Yokohama, Kanagawa (1986); the Sapporo Beer Brewery guest house in Hokkaido (1989); the Municipal Museum of Yatsushiro, in Kumamoto (1991); the Municipal Museum of Shimosuwa, in Nagano (1993), the Yatsushiro Firehouse, in Kumamoto (1995); the Nagaoka Auditorium, in Niigata (1996); the Yokohama Community Activities and Elderly Persons Treatment Centre in Kanagawa (1997); the Town Hall of Notsuharu, Oita (1998); the T Hall in Taisha, Shimane (1999); The Agricultural Park of Oita (2000), and the Sendai Media Centre in Miyagi (2002).

Projects outside of his country include the pavilion for Expo 2000, in Hanover; the Bruges 2002 pavilion, Bruges, and the Serpentine Gallery pavilion, London (2002). Projects under way include the Hospital Cognacq-Jay, in Paris; the M Hall, in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan; Mahler 4, block 5, in Amsterdam; the Tod's Omotesando building, in Tokyo; the extension of Fira de Barcelona. He is currently engaged in the Gavia Park project in Vallecas (Madrid).

He has won many awards including: the Architecture Institute of Japan Award for Silver Hut,
the Mainrich Art Award for Yatsushiro Municipal Museum and the Art Academy of Japan Award and World Architect Award 2002 for the Sendai Media Centre.
Fira de Barcelona's new Gran Via exhibition centre, which includes the Nuclo restaurant, is very important since it plays a symbolic role in the city. The total surface area is 240,000 m2 and its dimensions and features make it one of the world's main trade fair facilities.

Toyo Ito's project won the international contest promoted by Fira de Barcelona. Other well-known architects who competed were Clorindo Testa, Arets Architects, Dominique Perrault, Foster Associates and Abalos y Herreros.

His concept of architecture

Light, transparent, weightless are some of the adjectives usually applied to the architecture "without walls" of the Japanese Toyo Ito. As he himself says "The difference that existed between interior
and exterior architecture of the 20th century is disappearing. There should be no limits as the
buildings should be part of the ambience which, in turn, should penetrate into the buildings"

The basic concepts of his architecture draw inspiration from organic shapes, the relationship with nature, the search for movement, the poetry of transparency and lightness and the passion for the ephemeral, concepts he has captured in his works: 'We must adapt the formal flexibility of nature to architecture and draw inspiration from its dynamics to look for new building solutions. It is not only a question of making functional and beautiful buildings: the challenge is to change the life of their inhabitants'.

Blurring architecture offers us essential keys to understanding the work of the Japanese architect who shares with Gaudi the attraction for the organic world and advocates a return to nature.

The interiors of Nuclo

As in the rest of his works, Toyo Ito has managed to empty the interior of the restaurant of superfluous accessories. Nothing is unnecessary. The shades of the wengue wood are combined with white and a touch of electric blue. The interiors of the restaurant repeat the aesthetic and functional message of the Japanese architect: sophisticated simplicity, forms as sinuous as nature, balance and harmony. The glass walls, over 5 meters high, allow natural light to enter, giving life to an open-plan and, at the same time, welcoming space.

Barcelona, January 2008

Start of project

10th September 2005

Start of works

20th of October 2006

End of works:

22nd of October 2007

Architect and interiors

Toyo Ito

Surface area of foyer

70 m2

Surface area of dining room

600 m2

Terrace

100 m2

Reserved areas:

2

Number of tables

16 in the dining room / 4 in the reserved areas

Maximum number of diners:

60 in the dining room / 20 in the reserved areas

Menu options:

Executive menu

Gastronomic menu

à la carte menu

Wine cellar

Capacity

1,500 bottles

Number of labels

180 approximately

Design

Toyo Ito

Kitchen

Surface area

360 m2

Opening hours

Midday: Monday to Friday, 1 to 3.30 p.m.

Weekends: open at midday during Fira de Barcelona trade shows in Gran Via

Smokers area: no

no