main space. Glass display units built into the counter and shelving behind the
preparation area are designed to showcase the bakery products. The slats of
tulipwood along the screens of the serving counter have been set at an angle,
rather like the external cladding of a log cabin so as to create shadow lines that
emphasize again the dynamic perspectives.
The barista area is located at the front of the unit, where bar seating is positioned
along the glass shop window facing the street. Further along, the serving counter
is set at a diagonal angle to denote the move into the bakery area and allow
for further bench seating against the opposite wall. The tulipwood boarding is
raised afterwards to screen off the adjacent kitchen area from view, while the
washrooms are hidden in a black box volume. This black box volume extends
across the ceiling to break up the wooden trellis structure, separating the serving
area on one side and the dining space on the other.
The tables and bench seating furnish the rear half of the bakery, which looks
out onto a small terrace through full-height windows. Spotlights and exposed
light bulbs are hung from the ceiling to illuminate the shop, suspended over the
work surfaces and eating areas. The table tops and bench seats in creamy white
tulipwood contrast with their supporting structures in black steel. The architect
opted for a urethane finish with 35 percent gloss lacquer. This transparent finish
he explains, maintains the natural aspect, color and grain of the wood while
enhancing its’ durability to meet the requirements of a bakery both in terms of
usage and maintenance.
“We have already specified tulipwood in other projects, but never in its natural
aspect,” comments Stéphane Rasselet. “We have specified it for instance to create
furniture but unplaned and stained to give it a warm and rustic aspect. For this
particular bakery project we loved the natural play in nuances of tulipwood. It is a
wood species that we would willingly specify on future projects.” AD
ARCHITECTS: Nature Humaine
LOCATION: Côte-Des-Neiges, Montreal, Canada
CATEGORY: Retail design
TOTAL AREA: 140m²
PHOTOGRAPHS: Adrien Williams
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