Ears of wheat surround the tables at this dine-in bakery in Panama, which local studio Mallol Arquitectos has wrapped in clay plaster.
The 193-square-metre space for Krume Bäcker revolves around a central service area, comprising a monolithic U-shaped counter.
Mallol Arquitectos chose to build the counter out of compacted earth, combining local materials and ancestral techniques to create a contemporary aesthetic.
Coffee machines and pastry displays sit atop the textured surface, while narrow high-top tables are affixed along two sides.
In the centre of the bakery, a wooden rack for cooling loaves is suspended from the ceiling, in front of more shelves that divide the kitchen.
“The bread takes center stage in the space, and the lighting is intentionally designed to highlight its significance,” said the studio.
Textured clay plaster made from local earth covers the walls, which have rounded corners and include a stretch of small niches for booth seating on one side.
On the other is a large communal dining table, encouraging patrons to interact, while individual two-tops fill the gaps in the plan.
Along the storefront and behind a central bench, dried wheat is planted in wooden boxes – adding more texture to the space, and nodding to the primary ingredient in bread baking.
Red bricks are laid in a herringbone pattern across the floor, while the tall ceiling is broken up by rows of vertical panels between which the track lighting is installed.
“The colour and material palette was carefully selected to reflect the brand’s essence and origins, evoking the softness, warmth, and spontaneity of nature,” said the studio.
A significant effort was made to ensure the project is sustainable, through the use of locally sourced, low-impact materials.
The custom-designed wooden furniture is crafted using submerged native hardwoods from the Bayano Reservoir, which was formed when the river of the same name was dammed in 1976.
Salvaging the wood that’s been preserved underwater is an arduous process, but is muchmore eco-friendly than green timber harvesting.
“The timber, extracted in collaboration with the Guna Madugandí community, undergoes a precise retrieval method using hydraulic saws with biodegradable oils and is kiln-dried over 2.5 months,” said Mallol Arquitectos.
“This process maximises material use, reduces waste, and produces furniture with enhanced durability compared to porous alternatives.”
Mallol Arquitectos – whose studio is one of eight in Panama captured in a series by photographer Marc Goodwin – is a family affair, founded by Ignacio Mallol Tamayo and run in collaboration with his three children.
Other bakeries around the world include a London spot informed by Lebanese street food, a space in Dubai decorated in the “natural tones found in baking” and a mobile pop-up cafe in Hangzhou with grain sacks for walls.
The photography is by Mauricio Carvajal.
Project credits:
Client: Krume Bäcker
Design principals: Marietta Mallol, Ximena Mallol
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