A cutting-edge fine-dining restaurant in Budapest, Hungary, is showcasing a revolutionary approach to sustainable interior design through the use of reclaimed materials and interactive installations. The Onyx Æther restaurant, designed by architecture firm URBA in collaboration with artists Esteban de la Torre and Judit Eszter Kárpáti from art studio Ejtech, has earned recognition as a shortlisted project for the Dezeen Awards 2025 in the restaurant interior category.
The restaurant offers an ambitious 11-course dining experience that takes guests on a journey through centuries of culinary innovation, from the establishment of the first restaurants to the industrial revolution, and even extends into a speculative future where humans have colonized Mars. This immersive concept is supported by a multi-sensory environment that utilizes motion, lighting, and audio to create what designers describe as a "timeless, multi-layered environment that poetically weaves together universal themes around transience and impermanence."
The interior design centers around a striking sunken communal table where guests are guided through their meal, complemented by a large-scale textile installation developed by Ejtech. This innovative feature uses draped fabric animated by a series of motors, allowing the restaurant's spatial configuration to transform throughout the evening. The designers explained that "as the evening unfolds, the space morphs seamlessly, guiding guests on an immersive journey from plate to palate, engaging their senses and intuition in a continuous flow of experience."
Sustainability plays a central role in the restaurant's design philosophy, with particular emphasis on locally sourced, repurposed, and waste materials. One of the most notable elements is a unique sofa system created from surplus wool felt salvaged from a local mill. The dense, machine-pressed wool is combined with natural resin and layered to form seating that evokes the stratification of Earth's crust over millennia. Additionally, irregularly shaped tables and partition screens were crafted from melted-down aluminum construction waste, cast without molds to eliminate the need for industrial production processes.
The project's commitment to environmental responsibility extends beyond material selection to construction methods and local sourcing strategies. The design team made the deliberate decision to preserve the building's original walls and ceilings, honoring the structure's history while eliminating unnecessary construction work. Local materials, including pebbles sourced from the region, were incorporated to reduce transportation-related emissions and carbon footprint.
URBA, an architecture and interior design studio with offices in Budapest and Vienna, emphasized the project's connection to local identity while maintaining global sustainability vision. "From the rolling gravel reminiscent of the Danube's banks to the deliberate use of Hungarian materials and techniques, the design roots itself in local identity while embracing a global vision of sustainability," the firm stated. "It invites guests not just to dine but to engage deeply with the space, making each visit personal, inventive and profoundly meaningful."
The furniture pieces showcase innovative approaches to recycling and upcycling, with the aluminum elements displaying what designers describe as "organically textured blocks that shimmer with imperfections, proudly showcasing their reclaimed origins and embodying a sense of movement and adaptability." These irregularly shaped elements appear throughout the space, creating visual continuity while demonstrating the aesthetic potential of waste materials.
URBA's recognition in the hospitality design sector continues to grow, having been previously shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022 in the emerging interior design studio category for work across residential, hospitality, and service industries. The Onyx Æther project represents a significant achievement in merging artistic vision with sustainable practices, demonstrating how restaurants can serve as platforms for environmental consciousness while delivering exceptional dining experiences.
