Cantilevered Green Shield Protects McDonalds’ Customers from Adjacent Fuel Station

<a href="http://www.khmaladze.ge/flash.html">Giorgi Khmaladze</a> designed this futuristic glass-clad fuel station and McDonalds in a new urban center in Betumi, Georgia. The site occupies a central part of the city, so the design team sought to limit its footprint without ruining the dining experience. To this end, the two programs are visually separated, while <a href="http://inhabitat.com/category/green-roof/">vegetation planted on the cantilevered canopy</a> acts as an "ecological shield" that protects diners from the fuel station. The design was also just named as the best commercial building of the year by our friends over at <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/building-of-the-year/us/2014/category/Commercial%20Architecture">ArchDaily</a>.

Giorgi Khmaladze designed this curious McDonalds + Fuel Station in Georgia - the country

A class clad volume with three levels, the building is located in a central part of an emergent urban center

Limiting its footprint was therefore very important

The cantilevering canopy is vegetated!

The vegetation acts as an "ecological shield" that protects diners from the fuel station

The fuel station and fast food joint are visually separated

There are three levels to the volume

Diners are completely shielded from the fuel station - as though eating at McDonalds is some kind of sacred experience

Albeit strange in terms of its context, the design is nonetheless compelling!