The aptly named Salt Restaurant in Shiraz, southern
Iran, is completely made of salt. The walls, bar, tables and chairs are
entirely made of the white mineral; even the stairs have a smooth, salty
coating.
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The unique restaurant is the brainchild of Iranian firm Emtiaz Designing
Group, who used salt as the main construction material in order to
promote the concept of green construction. They created the building
using environmentally sustainable, locally sourced, affordable salt,
powder and rock. “In this particular case, the walls, structural
sculptures and ceilings are made from salt sourced from the nearby salt
mines and salt lake of Shiraz which was mixed with natural gum to harden
it,” said a spokesperson of the firm.
The project began with a thorough study on the appropriate type of local
salt and its combination with natural gums. The designers started their
research at the natural salt mines and the salt lake located close to
the 150-square meter restaurant site. |
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Inspired by salt caves, the designers wanted to make sure the interiors
of the restaurant twisted and turned just like they do in natural salt
caverns. Once the research phase was over, they designed the walls, roof
and stairs to represent a modern view of salt caves – and the result is
both striking and environmentally sustainable. They handcrafted the
tables entirely from rock salt, and recycled soft drink cans were used
to surface the stairs and chair frames, which was another way of keeping
down the carbon footprint.
Salt is actually a wise choice of construction material for the
restaurant, because it purifies the air and creates positive ions in the
atmosphere. “Salt is a natural disinfectant and the ions it releases
also purify and filter the air, making it the perfect material for a
restaurant,” the spokesperson explained. |
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“Salt suffers a bad reputation in gastronomy thanks to its overuse in
most diets, meaning that most people are not aware of its astonishing
healing powers,” he added. “But in fact, salt has been known as a
powerful health remedy since ancient times, especially for respiratory
health and detoxification. Even Hippocrates prescribed salt water
inhalation therapy for bronchial and lung disorders.”
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Salt therapy involves the therapeutic use of time spent in salt mines,
salt caves, or other forms of salt exposure to treat medical conditions.
So, eating at the Salt Restaurant could have several benefits. And you
rest assured that the food won’t be bland!
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