Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Restaurant Visit: Pitfire Pizza by Barbara Bestor in LA

Search

Restaurant Visit: Pitfire Pizza by Barbara Bestor in LA

December 9, 2011

You wouldn't think that an old concrete-block Shakey's Pizza with a big asphalt parking lot could suddenly be a cool handcrafted kind of hangout, but LA architect Barbara Bestor was able to pull off that hat trick for Pitfire Pizza. For the Culver City location, she stripped down the building to its shell and reoriented the structure toward the parking lot, so the space now opens through oversized sliding doors onto a garden of grasses, olive trees, and herbs. "We accepted the reality of parking in LA and repurposed this generic freestanding box to create a new type of building," says Bestor. The industrial bones and plywood booths underscore the artisanal nature of wood-fired pizza, while the custom furniture and sculptural pizza oven speak to the attention to detail of the whole undertaking.

Photography by Ray Katchatorian.

rm barbara bestor pitfire pizza9a

Above: Bestor was inspired by archiitect Lina Bo Bardi's work in São Paulo when she designed the pizza oven with two tiers of red steel. The yellow powder-coated steel bar stools are a custom design by the firm.

rm barbara bestor pitfire pizza5

Above: The whole space, including the kitchen, is one big room; the open layout has proved to be very popular with parents, who are able to keep a visual bead on their children.

rm barbara bestor pitfire pizza8a

Above: Vintage chairs sit across from plywood booths outfitted with silver vinyl cushions. The tabletops are made of end-grain blocks of Douglas fir, a popular choice for industrial flooring.

bestor detail shot lightbulb

Above: The simple lighting fixtures are Muuto's E27 Pendant Lights, available at DWR.

rm barbara bestor pitfire pizza6

Above: The restaurant now opens to a garden, with the parking lot beyond.

rm barbara bestor pitfire pizza11

Above: Bestor is known for her love of strong graphics; on the exterior, she plays up the building's pattern of concrete blocks. "A bold graphic move sets the atmosphere and allows you to be fairly minimalist with the rest of it," she says.

(Visited 190 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Product summary  

e27 lighting from dwr
Muuto

E27 Pendant

$79.00 USD from Design Within Reach

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0