The architecture of Entregatos Café begins with a distinctive challenge: creating a shared environment for people and cats while considering the different ways each explores, perceives and occupies space. The project brings together the café experience, interaction with the animals, and spaces dedicated to their care in an approach that connects architecture with animal welfare.
Located in Porto Alegre, the café is associated with the Acolha Gatinhos project, an initiative dedicated to rescuing, treating and placing cats in responsible adoption programs. Part of the establishment's revenue supports the continuation of this work, connecting an everyday visit to a café with a contribution to animal welfare.
On the ground floor, the arrangement of spaces establishes different possibilities for interaction and staying. The dining areas accommodate visitors, while an immersive environment allows for closer interaction with the cats. Glass partitions maintain visual connections between the spaces, allowing visitors to observe the animals throughout their visit. Outdoors, the café experience extends into an open-air setting.
In the cats' environment, space is occupied at different heights. Walkways, platforms and niches extend their territory beyond the floor, creating routes, vantage points and places to rest. Wooden structures shape a distinct landscape in which the animals' movements become part of the spatial experience. In this way, the architecture incorporates different opportunities for exploration and retreat.
The visual identity reinforces this experience. Illustrations of cats appear on the façade, doors and interior signage, connecting the establishment's image to its spaces. Light-colored surfaces, dark metal profiles and wooden elements define the project's material palette, while the features designed for the animals also contribute to the spatial organization.
In the basement, the program includes spaces for rest and hygiene, care and acclimatization, as well as a bathing and grooming area. These spaces integrate the cats' care and shelter needs into the overall layout, complementing the areas designed for interaction with environments dedicated to their everyday well-being.
By bringing together a café, interaction and animal care, Entregatos connects two experiences that would normally take place in separate settings. The architecture creates the conditions for this encounter and supports the cause behind it: fostering opportunities for shared experiences while helping more cats find a home.
