The Mercado Central, conceived by the Tadu Arquitetura office, represents the revitalization of a set of five historic buildings located in Downtown Rio de Janeiro. This space, which once housed Granado's first factory in 1903, has been transformed from industrial heritage into a new meeting point focused on gastronomy, art, culture, and urban interaction.
The project is based on recognizing pre-existing characteristics as a primary architectural element. Elements such as decorated facades, massive brick walls, metal structures, ceramic roofs, frames, vestiges of past demolitions, and worn surfaces have been maintained to record the various phases of the complex's use. Instead of hiding these historical layers, the intervention aims to highlight them, establishing a direct connection between the site's memory and its current use.
The most recent additions feature a distinct and easily recognizable language. The use of steel, concrete, exposed ceramic blocks, industrial finishes, and exposed installations dialogues with the original structures without replicating their historical details. This differentiation ensures that the complex maintains its visual clarity: the old aspect retains its solidity and imperfections, while the new provides infrastructure, accessibility, and support for various activities.
The internal layout follows the longitudinal format of the buildings, generating a succession of areas connected by corridors, halls, patios, and covered spaces. From the street, large openings connect the interior to the city, allowing views of the movement of gastronomic operations. Along the path, open kitchens, counters, and preparation zones integrate the production process with service, making daily work part of the visitor's experience.
In the Bocado establishment, a curved stainless steel counter occupies a central position, organizing the relationship between the kitchen, bar, and hall. The red color, fixed seating, and suspended structures create a contrast with the neutral and preserved base of the building. Further back, other operations, such as Suba and Peti, contribute to forming a diverse environment, where each brand maintains its identity without breaking the overall architectural unity. Open patios and old warehouses expand the possibilities of use; vegetation, movable furniture, and light structures convert secondary areas into places for staying, meetings, events, and cultural activities. The large spans, high ceilings, and visible trusses preserve the industrial dimension of the buildings, allowing for adaptable uses.
The project team presented a detailed description of the transformation of Marmotta Pasta Bar, an establishment located in the Itaim neighborhood of São Paulo. The main objective of the project is to redefine the brand, facade, and interior environment (hall and kitchen) to offer a unique experience to customers.
Marmotta's central concept is to establish a direct, warm, and dynamic link between the public street and the internal space. The corner of the location was strategically used to convert the facade into a point of great appeal, where gastronomy, visual identity, and architecture converge.
Red awnings serve to demarcate the building in the urban landscape and function as a natural extension of the brand itself. This red tone is repeated in various elements, including frames, doors, seating, and internal components, ensuring visual fluidity between the exterior and the interior. The use of red structures the restaurant's atmosphere, guiding the observer's eye from the sidewalk to the bar area.
The large windows facing the street maximize the sense of spaciousness, facilitate the penetration of natural light, and promote proximity between those inside and those outside, allowing observation of the movement in the hall and kitchen. The facade combines light surfaces, glass panels, red metal frames, and prominent awnings, resulting in an architecture that is simple, precise, and easy to remember, enhancing the scale of the corner without losing the charm of a neighborhood establishment.
Internally, the project opted for a palette of warm and direct materials. The language between the past and the present is built through the use of wooden panels, light tiles, glass blocks, patterned floors, stone countertops, upholstered sofas, and metal lighting fixtures. This selection of materials reinforces the perception of a restaurant that is both charming, accessible, and strongly identified.
The hall was designed to optimize the compact space, using linear seating, tables positioned near the windows, and maintaining free circulation. The bar, which is visible and integrated into the environment, contributes to the customer experience, consolidating the space as a welcoming and relaxed urban pasta bar. Elements such as mirrors, exposed shelves, displayed bottles, and graphics complement the ambiance, uniting architecture, operation, and the brand.
The visual identity was not merely applied but architecturally integrated. The name, graphics, colors, and designs were incorporated into the coverings, doors, glass, and structural planes. This fusion ensures that the restaurant is recognized not only for the quality of its cuisine but also for the unique atmosphere it provides.
