The restaurant, showing strains of age was outgrowing its footprint. Extensive user discovery and patron research determined the proprietors, ambiance and stalactites were to stay. The final brief was to improve kitchen workflows, increase seating capacity, retain the stalactite ceiling and create a durable, warm, inviting, contemporary space. We responded by relocating a poorly placed stair to achieve a 20% increase in seating capacity and redesigned the kitchen. We paid particular attention to the scale, datum heights and materiality of the existing to re-create the new spaces with the patina of the old – the ceiling was sliced and diced to integrate new stalactites, timber from existing floors was upcycled into new wall paneling and doors and crazy paving salvaged from the existing walls was reused in new floors.