The design for the Dolce Gusto Neo Flagship unites innovation, sustainability and architecture. The building ́s form was generated with algorithms and it was fabricated with the help of 3D-printed in biodegradable materials, making it the first building of its kind in Latin America. This project was conceived for the launch of the Dolce Gusto Neo which incorporates recycled plastic recovered from the ocean in its machines together with biodegradable capsules. The building architecture invites us to reflect on potential futures that we could design, especially given the climate emergency we are facing. It also regards the alternatives that civil construction so urgently needs to consider so that we can stop using materials from non-renewable and highly polluting sources such as concrete and steel.
Shape and inspiration
Inspired by the delicate coffee flower’s five petals, the Concept Store is designed like a dome formed along five axes, each marked by a glass portico, enabling a structure that has no clear front or rear and thus presents a flowing permeability with 360 degree views of the greenspace surrounding it. The interiors take advantage of the internal structure, organizing the store's program and serving as a basis for supports and product displays. Five curved LED panels form a circular feature of digital content that helps visually integrate the axes. A glass skylight lets in sunlight and creates a temple- like atmosphere with an form inspired by nature. The Dolce Gusto Neo flagship was designed to be installed in a public park, to be democratic and accessible, and to display its 3D-printed biodegradable architecture.
Central premise: sustainability
The prefabricated structure is composed of glued laminated timber (GLT) made from common reforested pine trees. It is covered with a shell, the molds of which were milled from computer files that minimize their material weight suspended from the optimized structure. As important as the Flagship is for Dolce Gusto Neo, its layout followed the engineering of the structure. There are two main materials used in its construction: wood and plaster. After the store is dismantled after about two years, the wood will be recycled and the plaster will be crushed and used as agricultural fertilizer, providing the soil with nutrients such as calcium and sulfur.
Team:
Architect: Estudio Guto Requena
Creative Direction: Guto Requena and Rodolfo Torres
Director of Operations: Ludovica Leone
Project Coordination: Camila Gonçalves
Communication Coordination: Thalissa Bechelli
Architecture: Henrique Stabile, Rodolfo Torres, Mateus Fraga and Priscila Almeida
Photography: Leonardo Finotti
Produced by: Nestlé
Builder: 4Constru
Manager: CTE
Lighting Design: Focus Light & Design
Landscape Design: Juliana Freitas Paisagismo
Installation Design: RGK
Automation Design: Bettoni Automation and Security
Accessibility Consulting: Elisa Prado
Firefighter Consulting: Engepoint
Sustainability Consulting: CTE Sustainability
Sustainability Consulting in Concept Stage: MateriaLAB
Visual Communication: BFerraz
