Europe 40 Under 40 Awards Tell a friend

Colonia Juárez, Mexico City, Mexico

Walking through the streets of Rome and enjoying the color of each travertine block, or strolling through the vineyards of Mendoza, framed by the vines and the Andes, were the inspiration to design Argentalia.

The main concept was to generate different atmospheres, creating a chromatic palette while playing with the geometries, that is why we chose a beige brick as a design element, which is repeated organically creating various architectural elements such as lattices, walls, stairs and bars, providing rhythm and texture.

The project is developed in two double-height levels, framed by a belt of brick lattices that also function like bars and rails. On the ground floor is the access, topped with a bar that organizes the space and works as a container for a table-booth, indicating the beginning of the dining room, crowned with a bar with a double function lattice: an ornamental feature and a bottle display. On the right, the dining room adjoins the open kitchen area where you can see the pizza oven and the grill, while on the left we find a double-height section with roller pin murals that emphasize the character of Argentalia’s homemade cooking.

To access the upper floor, we designed a sculptural staircase, generating an interesting journey for the user; these are composed by a porthole, brick and wood tunnel, which are born and interspersed with the ceiling wooden beams, creating a playful pattern and emphasizing the double height.

In the upper floor, we designed the dining room with different types of furniture and environments, among which are the booths area with a dry-green color palette and photographs related to the raw materials used in Argentalia’s kitchen; then, the roller pin mural unfolds and creates a dining area where users can enjoy an intimate atmosphere.

On the right side of the upper floor we designed a space that is embraced by a brick wall, suspended between two double heights, one that leads to the courtyard and provides a feeling of amplitude and the other connects the two levels from where you can appreciate the huge roller pin bands from the ground floor. For the bathroom’s hallway and the staircase, we created a cross-section floating mural of Rome.

To be in Argentalia, is to feel immersed in the tradition of the Italian-Argentinian recipes with the copper pots reflections and its kitchens olive oil, it is a culinary and architectural experience that shelters and melts between textures, warm tones, scents and flavors.