Biga on the Banks

Biga on the Banks is a popular upscale dining establishment and showcase for the culinary art of award-winning chef Bruce Auden. Overlooking a quiet bend in the River, Biga occupies a special place in the hearts of San Antonians. Auden's unique cuisine fuses regional flavors with international technique, bringing him national culinary distinction, including multiple nominations for the coveted James Beard Award.

Biga on the Banks captures the old world charm that is so identified with San Antonio, and marries it with a sophisticated urban edge. Our goal as architects was to create a world class white-tablecloth dining experience, using a quirky mix of visual opposites to heighten the excitement. Sophisticated and refined finishes meet with the funky: imitation tooled leather upholstery, for one example. For another, votive candles glow altar-like in a long row of bread tins, a nostalgic nod to Biga’s bread connections (a biga is a type of sourdough starter, and Auden’s wife Debra is an artisanal bread baker). Flowing fabric drapes stream sinuously through the restaurant, paralleling the river below.

Client> Biga on the Banks Partnership
Construction Cost> $1,220,000
Completion> March 2000