Modern coffee culture rules the planet, and these days, one can indulge in a multitude of concoctions at an even greater variety of design-led places, from high-brow to edgy. In the latter category falls ESTUDIO–CAFÉ, a recently opened, inconspicuous coffee parlour in Montevideo. The café is a side activity of Nacho Sarube, hair stylist and owner of local on-trend hair salon NS–2, and needless to say, it oozes a similar forward vibe. Situated in the downtown district of Cordón, opposite FADU, the monumental Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, ESTUDIO–CAFÉ occupies a 30 sqm. (323 sq.ft.) space which previously served as a garage to a semi-attached residential building. The interior design, created by Montevideo-based practice toro arquitectos, takes inspiration from Japanese minimalism.
But if you ask us, lots of pointers have also been taken from the Land of the Rising Sun‘s Wabi sabi philosophy, as the setting makes clever use of the patchy patina of the building’s concrete shell. Two existing openings on street level have been retained, and now serve as an entrance, while the other is occupied by a full-fledged service station with a street counter for take-away orders. The entrance has a foldable door, allowing the café and its patrons to take full advantage of sunny climes, but if so, additional seating is offered outside. Indoor, seating comprises foldable chairs and circular tables with terrazzo tops that match the flooring, in addition to a single bench. Concealed in a luminous box right next to the service station, a restroom and storage can be found. Next to various coffee variations, the menu at ESTUDIO–CAFÉ lists hot chocolate, teas, including matcha, and a range of tasty pastries.
ESTUDIO–CAFÉ
Bulevar Artigas 1066 (Cordón)
11300 Montevideo
Mon-Fri 9am-8pm
Sat 2pm-7pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
