The use of LZF’s prepossessing Link lamps at the fantastical Ladon Restaurante in Tenerife offers patrons something of a showstopper. Floating like billowy clouds above the rather dapper restaurant floor, the Link lamps crown this orderly, yet curious, space. 

A description of Ladon Restaurante reveals a somewhat puzzling but enchanting narrative, one in which a dragon with a hundred heads guards over the place. The dragon’s name is ‘Ladon’ (from Greek mythology) and it zealously protects a golden apple tree, puffing a fiery breath at anyone who dares to approach the tree. This fanciful tale was brought to life by José Manuel Ferrero of Valencia-based estudi{H}ac. Working with a large floor space of 660 m2, estudi{H}ac divided the restaurant into a number of areas by using a variety of textures, sensations, colours and furnishings. The studio’s aim was to create an atmosphere that conveyed both fantasy and dreams. 

Ash tones, with splashes of earth, green and red, are used throughout the restaurant’s interior. In the lobby, walls and floors made from volcanic stone, along with copper structures, black ceramic ‘scales’ and the image of a dragon’s skin, welcome diners. The dragon’s fire takes the form of an imposing barbecue and a combination of lighting fixtures are used to denote its tail. Tenerife’s folklore and its vivid vegetation are represented by a large, undulating wooden structure that symbolises the golden apple tree. The overall project was clearly an imaginative endeavour by estudi{H}ac. 

Ladon Restaurante sits within the Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife, an all-inclusive resort from Grupo Piñero, a Spanish tourism group. The resort is billed as a ‘family vacation paradise in Spain [that] will thrill children and adults alike.’ In this fantasy retreat, guests reside in the Hesperides Garden. Back to Greek mythology, the Hesperides were nymphs of the sunset, tasked with taking care of the garden, in which there were apple trees with golden apples—these golden apples were believed to give immortality to anyone who consumed them. As well as the nymphs, Ladon—that fiery dragon with a hundred heads—also protected the trees (perhaps the Link lamps are billowy wisps of smoke from Ladon’s fiery breath?). 

Ladon Restaurante happens to be a steakhouse, meaning its fiery dragon is busy cooking an array of flavourful meats as well as guarding the golden apple tree. Now that is one multitasking mythical monster.

The award-winning handmade wood veneer Link lamp is designed by Ray Power and you can find more details here.

Photography by Adrián Mora Morato.