Coal-coloured surfaces and blackened furnishings provide the dark interiors of this market-style restaurant in Valencia, designed by Francesc Rifé Studio.

Francesc Rifé's Barcelona-based studio chose almost exclusively dark-toned surfaces in its design for Merkato, which set within a former aircraft hanger.
Located in Valencia's buzzing Eixample district, the lofty space is described as a gastronomic market. It plays host to a restaurant, bakery and deli, all of which serve Spanish delicacies.

The building is accessed via a huge door fronted by panels of blackened pinewood, hinting at the hue of the spaces that follow inside.
After walking down a long corridor lined with purchasable food goods, visitors reach the main dining space, which is meant to evoke the atmosphere of an outdoor courtyard.
Box planters containing leafy green trees sit between the black timber tables, while a skylight punctures the peak of the roof to bathe the room in natural light.
A long partition wall composed of charcoal-coloured terracotta tiles runs along the rear of the room, obscuring the kitchen. Some tiles have been left out, allowing diners to catch glimpses of the chefs preparing dishes.

On the other side of the space is a trio of boxy volumes made from sheets of black metal mesh, designed so that they could be installed without the need to make any extensive changes to the building's structural shell.

One of the volumes accommodates a staircase that leads to the restaurant's me...