The hugely industrial look of this building has proved to be an incredible chance to juxtapose heavy, large format cement blocks with minimalise custom curved rectangular white tiles. The supposed disadvantages of the site, with the storefront is set back into frames, a basement shaft that takes up a large portion of the space’s bottom left, and an interior space made up of a variety of ceiling heights and natural lighting, served only as a means for the Angelot patisserie to stand out.
A stark contrast from the Angelot’s usual orange, architectural design firm Say Architects chose to enforce a softer, more palatable tone for the patisserie. Like the exterior, the interior is delightfully minimal with white terrazzo flooring, a counter of large sandstone blocks, and white marble worktops.
The seating area wonderfully combines nature into the minimalism, with pale curved wood chairs, huge windows offering a wash of natural light, and lemon trees that grow from the ground. An incredible touch that provides home comfort without distracting from the minimalist feel is the large concrete walls, curved to mimic the look of curtains.
The varying heights of the storefront and the dining space is amplified by an entrance hall with a lowered ceiling that dramatically welcomes you into the main area of the patisserie. The exterior tiles really set the tone for the interior with the black grout adding contrast against the white tiles, curves hinting at something more organic, and minimalism very apparent.
A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, July 2020.