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      Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion

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      This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

      The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic’s workshop in the city’s Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.
      Esrawe + Cadena built the Xinú boutique within an industrial courtyard transformed into a verdant gardenIt was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.
      Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.
      The single-storey pavilion is built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood”The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture,” said the design team.

      Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.
      Its radial construction emanates from a central columnA flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.
      Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.
      Vertical louvres around the perimeter support shelves and vitrines displaying various itemsThe pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.
      Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.
      Products on view include Xinú’s fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related piecesGlass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.
      At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.
      The boutique is designed to offer Xinú customers a “a powerful authentic brand narrative””This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape,” the team said.
      “Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú’s unique products and scents.”

      Mexican design and architecture undergoing a “renaissance” says Héctor Esrawe

      Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand’s stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.
      Esrawe is one of Mexico’s most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a “renaissance”.
      The courtyard is accessed from the street via a metal gate and reached by following a flagstone pathHis studio’s recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.
      Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.
      Track lighting inside the pavilion and uplights in the plants create an atmospheric setting at nightOther projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.
      The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.
      Project credits:
      Concept and experience: Esrawe + CadenaArchitecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe StudioDisplay and artwork design: Cadena ConceptsDesign team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo ÁvilaVisualisations: Yair UgarteScale models: Alejandro Uribe, David DíazWood: MicmacStructure: Sergio LópezInstallations: JLC RemodelacionesLandscaping: Arturo FloresLighting: Lighteam

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      Bunkhouse and Reurbano convert 1940s Mexico City apartments into boutique hotel

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      American hotel brand Bunkhouse and interior design studio Reurbano have used motifs derived from the history of a Mexico City structure when converting it into a boutique hotel.

      Hotel San Fernando is located in the Condesa neighbourhood of Mexico City, a largely residential zone that in recent years has seen an influx of national and international travellers.
      Bunkhouse and Reurbano have converted a 1940s apartment building into a boutique hotel in Mexico CityBunkhouse worked with local interior design studio Reurbano to take a 1940s apartment building and convert it into a 19-room hotel, with finishes informed by the neighbourhood.
      The face of the structure was restored and painted a light green, with darker green used on the awnings that provide coverage for seating attached to the hotel’s lobby and restaurant, which open to the street through glass-paned French doors.
      It features renovated spaces that maintain details of the original structureAn art deco-style logo spells out the name of the hotel above the door. Saint Fernando is known as the patron saint of engineers, and the team wanted to highlight this by maintaining the name of the original building in the branding of the new structure.

      “We wanted to honour this building,” said Bunkhouse senior vice president of design Tenaya Hills.
      “We love the story and the history and like to imagine what it has been for people over the decades.”
      A spiral staircase leads from the lobby to the rooftopThis primary entrance features a metal door with glass panes informed by the original stained glass of the building.
      The entry corridor leads past a lobby lounge, with lighting by Oaxaca studio Oaxifornia and furnishings by local gallery Originario; and design studios Daniel Y Catalina, and La Metropolitana, which also created custom furniture for all of the guest suites.
      At the far end of the lobby lounge is the restaurant’s bar, which features a large semi-circular cabinet with mirrored back to hold the spirits. A chandelier by local sculptor Rebeca Cors hangs above the clay-clad bar.
      French doors feature at the entrance and on some of the roomsThe entrance corridor has green encaustic concrete tiles from the original building. Other original details include the wainscotting and casement windows.
      A reception area is located at the end of the corridor and behind it is a circular staircase with metal-and-wood railing that leads all the way up through the building, with landings on each of its five floors, terminating at a terrace on top of the building.

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      The guest rooms range from single-room setups to multi-room suites, the largest of which are accessed through French doors with opaque windows.
      Here the studio departed from the greens used on the exterior and the lobby and utilised soft orange, pink and white paints.
      Light colours and hand-crafted goods fill the roomsFloors in the rooms are either tile or wood and furniture made from light-coloured wood is covered by locally derived textiles. Three rooms on the rooftop level feature furniture designed by Bunkhouse and fabricated by local design outfit B Collective Studio.
      Pendant lamps and sconces by local ceramicist Anfora are found in the kitchens and bathrooms.
      The rooftop features sculptural breeze blocksThe rooftop features a tiled dining and lounge area surrounded by sculptural breeze blocks, designed to mimic the original building’s patterned stained glass.
      Mexican design studios Mexa and Comité de Proyectos contributed furniture pieces for the rooftop.
      Other hotels in Mexico include a tile-clad structure in San Miguel de Allende by Productora and Esrawe Studio and a hotel in Mexico City with wooden lattices by PPAA.
      The photography is by Chad Wadsworth. 

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      RA! clads Mexico City taco restaurant with broken tiles

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      Local architecture studio RA! took cues from Latin American art deco design when creating the tiny interior of Los Alexis, a small taqueria in Mexico City’s Roma Norte neighbourhood.

      Los Alexis is a taco eatery – or taqueria – in Roma, a famed district in Mexico City, which features examples of art deco architecture.
      Los Alexis is a small taqueriaRA! drew on the “vibrant personality” of the area when designing the single 15-square-metre room restaurant, housed within a former beer depository.
      “One of the most important requests of our client was for this tiny space to shine among the rest of the retail premises on the street,” said studio co-founder and designer Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.
      RA! clad the floors and walls in a mosaic of broken tilesRA! clad the walls and floors in a distinctive mosaic of broken ceramic tiles with green joints as an ode to Barcelona, where chef Alexis Ayala spent time training, the designer told Dezeen.

      A curved bar finished in slabs of ribbed green material fronts the open kitchen, which is positioned on the right of the small open space.
      Utilitarian materials were selected for their resilienceUtilitarian materials, including the tiles, were chosen throughout the restaurant for their “endurance and fast cleaning processes”.
      White-painted steel breakfast-style stools line the bar, which has a bartop made of steel – selected for its resistance to grease, according to Ramírez de Aguilar.

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      The studio decided to preserve the space’s original, peeling ceiling “to create a wider contrast [within the eatery] and to remember the old premises”.
      Informal seating lines the pavement just outside of the taqueria where customers can eat and socialise.
      The one-room eatery is defined by its bar and open kitchenOther than a small bathroom at the back of Los Alexis, the one-room restaurant is purposefully defined by its bar and open kitchen.
      “Typical ‘changarros’ [small shops] in Mexico City are all about the conversation with the cookers, so we tried to have this interaction between people as a main objective,” explained Ramírez de Aguilar.
      Founded in 2017, RA! previously created the interiors for a restaurant in the city’s Polanco neighbourhood with a bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat.
      DOT Coffee Station is another hole-in-the-wall cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, which YOD Group designed with a similar floor-to-ceiling mosaic of tiles.
      The photography is courtesy of RA!

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      Mexico City restaurant by RA! arranged around upside-down pyramid bar

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      A bar counter shaped like an inverted ziggurat sits at the centre of this restaurant in Mexico City, designed by local architecture studio RA!

      Tana is a tapas spot located in the city’s wealthy Polanco neighbourhood, within a compact and intimate space facing Parque Lincoln.
      The Tana restaurant is organized around a central concrete barRA! gutted the 65-square-metre unit to make way for its cave-like concept, achieved by applying textured plaster and concrete across the four-metre-high walls.
      “The intervention began by demolishing the superimposed finishes of the old premises, in order to discover the structure and the materials that originally constituted the space,” said RA! co-founder Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar.
      The bar’s inverted ziggurat form features cove lighting along its tiered sides”The balance of the sounds, colours, textures and tones of the space creates a cave atmosphere that shelters those who inhabit it,” he contined.

      The main dining area is organised around a central bar counter, which has a stepped form reminiscent of an ancient pyramid – similar to those located at the Aztec archeological site of Teotihuacan just outside of the city.
      Cove lighting also illuminates the plaster and concrete walls and floors around the restaurant’s perimeterRough concrete also wraps the bar’s tiered sides, under which cove lighting is installed to illuminate each layer.
      “The bar questions the traditional linear organization of bars to create a square distribution that allows greater coexistence between users and the mixologist,” Ramírez de Aguilar said.
      Slender-framed metal stools provide seating for dinersFurther cove lighting encircles the room just above floor level, and about two-thirds of the way up the walls, as well as beneath the narrow drink shelves.
      Behind the bar, a copper lighting fixture comprises two concentric circles, with a soft glow emanating from behind the small, front disk.
      Cylindrical concrete pendants lamps hang above the dining areaThe copper fixture was mounted on a floor-to-ceiling shelving system built from thin metal pipes, which displays liquor bottles and holds hanging plants at the top.
      “The plate made in Michoacán, Mexico, is positioned on a large formation of rods that go from the support cabinet to the ceiling, generating a series of shelves on which the bottles and other service elements are positioned,” said Ramírez de Aguilar.

      Sofía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

      Tall, slender-framed stools surround the bar, and provide additional seating along either side of the space.
      Above hang cylindrical concrete pendant lamps with steel caps, which direct the light downwards as a series of spots.
      RA! designed the restaurant to look and feel like a caveBehind the shelving unit is a small, omakase-style dining area that offers guests a direct view of the kitchen.
      The restaurant opens fully to the street, where more tables are placed on a covered patio surrounded by plants.
      Tana also has a covered outdoor patio surrounded by plantsRA! was founded in 2017 by Ramírez de Aguilar along with Cristóbal Ramírez de Aguilar and Santiago Sierra in Mexico City, where the dining scene is booming and many creative minds are helping to shape interiors for its chefs.
      Along with Tana, new spots include Pizzeria della Madonna in Roma Norte, which designer Sofia Betancur modelled on a neighbouring church, and Ling Ling, an Asian fusion restaurant on the 56th floor of the Chapultepec Uno skyscraper.
      The photography is by Ariadna Polo.

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      Barde vanVoltt orients renovated Mexico City house around mezcal bar

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      A private mezcal bar forms the heart of this house that Amsterdam interior architecture firm Barde vanVoltt has overhauled in Mexico City’s La Condesa neighbourhood.

      Working for longstanding Dutch clients who live in Mexico, Barde vanVoltt transformed a historic, dilapidated building into a contemporary residence that respects the heritage of the existing structure.
      The building’s former life as a mezcal tasting venue influenced Barte vanVoltt to create a bar in its central courtyard”We walked together into this old, beautiful building, and instantly fell in love,” said studio founders Bart van Seggelen and Valérie Boerma. “Even though the house was falling apart, we felt its soul was fully alive.”
      The three-storey house had previously been used as a mezcal tasting venue, and the duo used this as a starting point for the design.
      Arched openings create routes through the home, passing through the open kitchen, living and dining spaceA primary aim of the renovation was to create a “vibrant oasis in the city” with a better connection to the outdoors.

      This was achieved by connecting a series of courtyards, terraces and semi-enclosed corridors to form a route and airflow through the building.
      An earthy colour palette was chosen for the minimalist interiors to create a relaxing aura”We worked together with Thalia from Aldaba Jardines, a talented landscape designer, to create a seamless flow from the indoors to the outdoors and back again,” said the studio..
      In the central courtyard, Barde vanVoltt removed the roof from the double-height space and replaced it with operable glass panels to let in more light.
      Multiple openings onto courtyard spaces encourage indoor-outdoor livingThe designers turned this space into a mezcal bar as a nod to the building’s former life that the owners could use for entertaining friends and family.
      Backed by a semicircular brass panel, upon which shelves for liquor bottles are mounted, the rounded bar counter is wrapped in narrow terracotta tiles.
      The back courtyard is used as an outdoor lounge and features planting up the grey plaster wallsA five-metre-tall guayabo tree was also planted in the courtyard, casting shadows across the surrounding walls.
      Open archways lead from this central space into various rooms including the kitchen and living area, which features dark cabinetry, open shelving, and a large bespoke wooden dining table.
      Floors for the stairs, bathroom and outdoor areas are tiled with handmade bricks by Tata MosaicosBeyond a row of French doors is the back courtyard that forms an outdoor lounge, and an annex that accommodates a home office on the upper level.
      To retain some of the original character, the architects recreated the cast iron, Art Deco windows and Spanish-style railings. and extended them to the back of the house.
      The neutral-toned decor continues in the three bedrooms on the first floorThe overall layout of spaces was kept largely the same, aside from a few walls that were removed to combine or create bigger rooms.
      For example, the primary bedroom and bathroom now flow together as one space, divided only by a partition of angled bricks that forms a backdrop to the freestanding bathtub.
      The primary bedroom and bathroom were combined into one space, with only a partition of angled bricks dividing them”We included the bathroom into the space to create a home sanctuary to rest and refresh,” said Barde vanVoltt.
      Two further bedrooms are located on the first floor, the other side of the central courtyard void at the front of the house.
      A series of semi-enclosed loggias connect the first-floor roomsThe roof terrace features a plunge pool, an outdoor shower, a row of loungers and built-in seats, all accessed via a spiral staircase from the loggia outside the main bedroom.
      The building’s exterior is covered in greige-coloured plaster, as a nod to Mexico’s prevalent concrete architecture, while warmer earth tones decorate the minimalist interiors.

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      Moss green sofa covers and bed linens visually tie to the plants outside, and wood, terracotta and off-white hues complement one another.
      “We love the natural feel these colours have together,” said the designers. “According to colour psychology, nature-inspired hues are the best for interiors as they soothe and invigorate.”
      The building’s original cast iron handrails were recreated and extended to the back of the propertyFloors for the stairs, bathroom and outdoor areas are tiled with handmade bricks by Tata Mosaicos, made from compacted earth sourced from different regions throughout Mexico.
      “This unique structure means they need 50 per cent less cement, using the sun and shade to dry naturally and secure the structure,” Barde vanVoltt said. “An environmentally friendly solution, sourced locally.”
      Custom lighting and Mexican objects, textiles, sculptures and other wall art are also found throughout the residence.
      The terrace also has multiple seating areas so that the family and their friends can gather outsideBarde vanVoltt has renovated many older buildings, having converted a former garage into a light-filled home and a century-old farmhouse into a retail store – both in the Netherlands.
      The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez Orozco.
      Project credits:
      Lead interior architect: Barde vanVolttContractor: CF Taller de ArquitecturaArchitect: ZVA Interiores & ArquitecturaBathroom: Agape BathroomsKitchen appliances: GaggenauLighting: Studio Davidpompa, ILWT, Nuumbra, Federico Stefanovich, DCW editionsMaterial: Tata MosaicosRugs: Txt.ureFurniture: Casa Quieta, Chuch Estudio, Acoocooro, Carl Hanssen & Sons, ArflexArt: Kreyé, Chic by Accident, Carlos Vielma, Prince Láuder, Axelle Russo, Rrres, Saudara, Luuna WabiLandscaping: Aldaba Jardines

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      Estudio Estudio unveils “hidden architectural treasures” in Mexico City house

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      Arched doorways and a rooftop studio feature in the Y.27 House, which has been overhauled by architecture firm Estudio Estudio in a way that honours the historic building’s original character.

      Located on a 195-square-metre site in Mexico City’s Hipódromo Condesa neighbourhood, the project serves as a full-time residence for a client who is a social entrepreneur and collector of Mexican craftwork.
      The house been overhauled to honour the historic building’s original characterOriginally built in the 1930s, the stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglect, said local firm Estudio Estudio.
      The design team set out to revamp the home’s interior, aiming to restore its original charm while enhancing its functionality.
      Estudio Estudio set out to revamp the home’s interiorThe project involved removing walls, reconfiguring the layout and making structural improvements, in addition to adding new finishes. Moreover, a small storage room on the roof was replaced with a 43-square-metre studio building.

      “The main goal was to unveil the hidden architectural treasures beneath layers of past modifications, meticulously restoring them to their original state to reveal the essence of the time,” the team said.
      In the rear, one finds a kitchen”Architectural interventions aimed to preserve the authentic character of the house, rejuvenating ornamental elements while avoiding unnecessary embellishments.”
      Rectangular in plan, the home has a mix of communal and private spaces spread across three levels. Curves and arches – many of them original – create a “harmonious flow”.
      Curves and arches create a “harmonious flow”On the ground level, the layout “seamlessly integrates daily living requirements”. The front portion holds an entry hall, garage and office, while in the rear, one finds a kitchen, dining area, service rooms and a patio.
      At the heart of the ground floor is an airy living room with a 5.9-metre-high ceiling. A tall shelving system with a metal-and-wood ladder acts as a focal point.
      A tall shelving system acts as a focal point in the airy living roomA gently curved, skylit staircase leads to the first floor, where the team placed a primary bedroom, two bedrooms and a family room.
      Atop the building is the new studio, which was constructed using pine. In addition to the studio, the building contains an onsen room with a barn-style door.
      The building contains an onsen room with a barn-style doorThe studio opens onto a terrace with terracotta flooring. Rainwater is collected on the roof and channelled to a reservoir below.
      “The roof terrace serves as a space to gather but also works as a rainwater collector, where rain travels throughout the house into a water reservoir and filter system beneath the back patio,” the team said.

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      Throughout the home, the team used earthy materials and neutral colours. The lighting design – created in collaboration with lighting expert Luca Salas – is meant to balance “ambiance, functionality and aesthetics”.
      Notable finishes include oak parquet flooring and closets faced with cotton-canvas. Oak was used for window frames, kitchen cabinets and other elements.
      Pisos de pasta flooring features in the kitchenIn the kitchen, the team took a sample of existing checkered tiles, made of pigmented concrete, to a local craftsman, who then replicated them.
      This style of flooring – called pisos de pasta – is very common in older homes in Mexico City and southwest Mexico, said Estudio Estudio.
      The stucco-clad dwelling had endured years of neglectOverall, the house is meant to balance historic elements with a contemporary lifestyle.
      “This house proudly stands as a harmonious blend of past and present, inviting residents to embark on a captivating journey of refined and simple ways of living,” the team said.
      Other projects in Mexico City’s Condesa district include a renovated house by Chloé Mason Gray that embraces its lack of natural light, and an apartment block covered in small, wooden squares that were inspired by vegetable crates.
      The photography is by Zaickz Moz Studio.

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      Sophía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

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      A neighbouring church informed the layout and design of this pizzeria in Mexico City, in which architect Sophía Betancur placed the oven in full view.

      The Pizzeria Della Madonna is located next to the Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, a church in the city’s Roma Norte neighbourhood built in 1910.
      A halo-like stainless steel frame is one of the many religious references at Pizzeria Della Madonna”The temple reflects a mixture of neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic styles,” said Betancur, who is based in Mexico City. “The semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and wooden benches arranged throughout the nave are elements reinterpreted in the spatial proposal of the project.”
      Inside the 98-square-metre, L-shaped space, the pizza oven is placed in the crossing — directly visible from the restaurant’s glass doors.
      The distressed plaster walls of the restaurant are reminiscent of an old Italian churchIts sculptural rounded form is framed by a halo-like stainless steel structure suspended from the ceiling, providing a shelf on which hot pizzas can be placed.

      Curved lines following the oven’s shape are traced across the floor, as well as on the ceiling in the form of track lighting that extends through the space.
      The dining area is laid out like a nave, with seating on either side of a central pathwayThroughout the restaurant, distressed plaster walls create the effect of eating in an old Italian church.
      “The rustic finish on the walls reveals multiple layers of paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial and retail projects,” the architect said.
      The open kitchen features ceramic and terracotta tilesThe dining space at the front of the restaurant is laid out like a nave, with wooden bench seating and tables on each side and a path up the middle.
      “The concept is complemented by historical, pictorial research and the symbology of the Virgin Mary and Marian architecture in Europe, from which forms, colors, materials and spatial qualities are taken up,” said Betancur.

      Studio Wok designs cavernous pizza restaurant to recall rocky coves of Sardinia

      “In this way, the proposal turns out to be a tribute to Mexican neo-colonial style and Italian religious architecture and iconography.”
      Further seating is located in the perpendicular branch, or transcept, of the “L”, where a mirrored wall at the end makes the space appear larger.
      In a “transcept”, further seating is reflected in a mirrored wallIn the kitchen area, ceramic tiles cover the wall surfaces, while terracotta tiles of a similar size and shape the front of the service counter.
      “The blend of the open kitchen and bar with the dining room translates into a balanced combination of practical and utilitarian materials typical of industrial kitchens and warm materials that provide elegance and comfort,” Betancur said.
      The restaurant is located in Mexico City’s lively Roma Norte neighbourhoodServing one of the world’s most popular foods, pizza restaurants take many forms and styles across the globe, but many feature some reference to its home country.
      In New York, Büro Koray Duman drew on Neopolitan culture for the interiors of Simo, while at Dough Pizza in Perth, Ohlo Studio used materials that evoke the “rustic sophistication” of Italy.
      The photography is by Arturo Arrieta.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Sofía BetancurDesign team: Cesar Ávila G y Sergio Bau.Engineers: Leonel NavaVisual identity: Faena StudioConstruction: Factor EficienciaWoodwork: Taller Nacional y Solana EstudioLighting: Martín Leal

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      Sofía Betancur references nearby church for Pizzeria Della Madonna

      by

      A neighbouring church informed the layout and design of this pizzeria in Mexico City, in which architect Sofía Betancur placed the oven in full view.

      The Pizzeria Della Madonna is located next to the Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, a church in the city’s Roma Norte neighbourhood built in 1910.
      A halo-like stainless steel frame is one of the many religious references at Pizzeria Della Madonna”The temple reflects a mixture of neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic styles,” said Betancur, who is based in Mexico City. “The semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and wooden benches arranged throughout the nave are elements reinterpreted in the spatial proposal of the project.”
      Inside the 98-square-metre, L-shaped space, the pizza oven is placed in the crossing — directly visible from the restaurant’s glass doors.
      The distressed plaster walls of the restaurant are reminiscent of an old Italian churchIts sculptural rounded form is framed by a halo-like stainless steel structure suspended from the ceiling, providing a shelf on which hot pizzas can be placed.

      Curved lines following the oven’s shape are traced across the floor, as well as on the ceiling in the form of track lighting that extends through the space.
      The dining area is laid out like a nave, with seating on either side of a central pathwayThroughout the restaurant, distressed plaster walls create the effect of eating in an old Italian church.
      “The rustic finish on the walls reveals multiple layers of paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial and retail projects,” the architect said.
      The open kitchen features ceramic and terracotta tilesThe dining space at the front of the restaurant is laid out like a nave, with wooden bench seating and tables on each side and a path up the middle.
      “The concept is complemented by historical, pictorial research and the symbology of the Virgin Mary and Marian architecture in Europe, from which forms, colors, materials and spatial qualities are taken up,” said Betancur.

      Studio Wok designs cavernous pizza restaurant to recall rocky coves of Sardinia

      “In this way, the proposal turns out to be a tribute to Mexican neo-colonial style and Italian religious architecture and iconography.”
      Further seating is located in the perpendicular branch, or transcept, of the “L”, where a mirrored wall at the end makes the space appear larger.
      In a “transcept”, further seating is reflected in a mirrored wallIn the kitchen area, ceramic tiles cover the wall surfaces, while terracotta tiles of a similar size and shape the front of the service counter.
      “The blend of the open kitchen and bar with the dining room translates into a balanced combination of practical and utilitarian materials typical of industrial kitchens and warm materials that provide elegance and comfort,” Betancur said.
      The restaurant is located in Mexico City’s lively Roma Norte neighbourhoodServing one of the world’s most popular foods, pizza restaurants take many forms and styles across the globe, but many feature some reference to its home country.
      In New York, Büro Koray Duman drew on Neopolitan culture for the interiors of Simo, while at Dough Pizza in Perth, Ohlo Studio used materials that evoke the “rustic sophistication” of Italy.
      The photography is by Arturo Arrieta.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Sofía BetancurDesign team: Cesar Ávila G y Sergio Bau.Engineers: Leonel NavaVisual identity: Faena StudioConstruction: Factor EficienciaWoodwork: Taller Nacional y Solana EstudioLighting: Martín Leal

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