Just like fruits transform when they open up, the interior design proposal of this pastry shop in Cartagena delves into the fibers of conceptual design. Nía, derived from the mountain range, served as the main inspiration that led Talia Richard and Hart Bageri to explore Colombian tropical fruits, subsequently abstracting their essence and creating a gastronomic offering different from the usual in one of Latin America's most touristic cities. This exploration served as a starting point for the creative team at the Colombian design studio Crearq to translate this concept into interior design and push it further.
The project was developed in an old house located in the historic center of the city, where a public notary office previously existed. "From the beginning, Nía's branding agency spoke to us about discovering the beauty of the unknown, and that's exactly what we did," says architect María Adelaida Herrera, who, along with architect Miguel León, led the design at Crearq.
They gradually uncovered layers of drywall, partitions, and shelves to reveal essential elements typical of Cartagena's domestic architecture, such as the original double-height gabled roofs composed of layers of interwoven clay tiles, stone and handmade brick arches, and hydraulic tiles on floors and walls.
Appealing to the senses, materiality and color were key tools for interpreting the metaphor of the fruit's rigid and colorful exterior versus its fibrous and pale interior. "Depending on the angle you look from, the pastry shop completely changes in terms of textures and shapes," adds Herrera. With this, the architect refers to the notable change in walls, finishes, and furniture that vary from green to terracotta from one space to another, simulating the exterior and interior of a sapote fruit. The fuchsias, magentas, and hues reminiscent of tropical pomegranates, and the snail-shaped roundness of a top-down cut of a raspberry, are evident in the two crescent-shaped sofas in the main lounge.
Furthermore, the large-scale tapestry created by Ángela Ramos, which focuses attention on the display case, exudes a unique organic quality. "If you observe fruits microscopically, you discover layers of intertwined fibers. We set out to recreate this biological tissue inherent to nature, turning it into a tactile work of art," she adds.
Further into this material and chromatic exploration by the design studio, pieces such as the two center tables veneered with artisanal techniques by indigenous communities in the south of the country and designed by Alta Estudio, as well as the metal ceiling lamps resembling figs and the stained glass floor lamps refracting light and coloring the space, become indispensable.
These elements could be compared to the meticulousness of a chef in assembling a dish, adding the finest details before serving it. The travertine floor in the entrance and main lounge neutralizes the palette and serves as a prelude to the checkerboard pattern in cream and terracotta that dominates the interior lounge and bathrooms.
"A good design begins with the essence of something, and that's how we approached this project. We connected with Talia, Hart, and Pierre Layolle's research and responded with a dynamic based on creativity and the materialization of an idea in an unexpected way," conclude the architects.
Team:
Conceptualization and interior design: Crearq
Words and Photography: Mónica Barreneche
Source: El Buen Ojo
