Masa café and bakery in Bogotá, by the Colombian–American practice Studio Cadena, proves – once and for all – that you don’t need opulent materials to build something spectacular. The bakery’s most distinctive feature is its textured concrete shell, which gives way to massive triangular windows as pointy as sharks’ teeth. This accent is every bit as dramatic as something Louis Kahn would’ve done, yet it’s playful, too. Similarly, the interior furnishings – heavy concrete coffee bars displaying delicate pastries and terrazzo-tiled floors with comically large chips – have both gravitas and whimsy. The best thing about the complex is the open-concept interior. Wherever you are in the building – be it the café, the restaurant or the retail space – you’ll be surrounded by the aromas
of butter, flour and yeast. 

Project Masa Location Bogotá, Colombia Firm Studio Cadena, U.S./Colombia Team Benjamin Cadena with Ivan Castro, Juan Sebastian Rubio and Jorge Alberto Cubillos