THE MINERS CAFÉ

The commission consisted of recovering a premises that had been empty for some time in the heart of Poblenou to transform it into a cafeteria that would make a difference on a boulevard with a lot of gastronomic activity.

Its walls narrate the passage of time. In the first part of the construction we can clearly see areas of stone and as we advance we see different brick constructions, some in fired brick, others in light brick and at the end we have some divisions in plasterboard. This diversity of textures brings richness to the premises, giving it a texture that we wanted to maintain, but unifying it through the application of colour. A cream colour, luminous to enhance the height and bring light to this very longitudinal premises and at the same time highlight elements such as the bar and the bakery with a tile coloured finish. Walls, ceilings, floors and elements are unified in this same tone.

The bar attracts special attention in the entrance area. It is a made-to-measure bar with a reinforced top that has both a counter and coffee service function as well as a bar-table function for a quiet coffee at its ends. In the coffee-serving areas, the seating disappears, using the entire space for the location of machines such as fridges, marro, ice machine, etc. The bar stands out in this space for being the only element with tiling and colour, a tile colour that reminds us of the craftsmanship and the artisan process behind the production of coffee.

Facing this, we have another reinforced concrete countertop with a microcement finish next to a wall that is displaced. In this way we manage to align the wall and place some shelves with a bar that increases the seating capacity in the premises.

The shelves support the use of the bar on the sides and also serve as a display. As they are integrated with the same colour, they allow the product to stand out on display.

The lighting also takes centre stage in the premises. Part of it is made to measure with horizontal linestras on iron supports that accompany us along the route from the cafeteria to the bakery. The more technical lighting is by LEDS C4 and other special, more decorative lighting is in the bar, where we have hanging lights, white Bowl, by Santa & Cole.

Another element that gives character to the space are the mirrors in pink finish, which not only amplify and give colour to such a linear space but also generate rhythms. The arched mirror at the entrance gives us a good view of the bar and the display shelves if we walk down the street in the opposite direction to it. Once inside, another circular mirror frames the coffee area where a large Slayer coffee machine with two groups stands out.

The central space is a service area; on one side is the bathroom and on the other, hidden between mirrored arches that generate rhythm and widen the corridor, is the storeroom, behind one of these mirrors converted into a sliding door. The adapted bathroom has a vestibule with a worktop integrated into a pillar, protected with fireproof paint in the same tone as the tiles. The same worktop is covered with tiles following the aesthetics of the bar.

At the end of the service corridor is the workroom, which also takes the form of a central arch, a continuation of the arch between the service area and the corridor. The workroom also has exposed pillars and the walls with kitchen units are protected with tile-coloured ceramics to link service spaces (bar, workroom, bathrooms...) and provide continuity throughout the premises. A large window as a division between the
workshop and a courtyard full of plants acts as a backdrop to the workshop, the colour comes out onto the terrace so that, on days of events and summers, the doors can be opened and the interior and exterior merge.

The project is materialized in a large element built in situ, designed as a large sculpture that serves as a bar, a display and a coffee shop.

A specialty cafeteria by Isern Serra on Rambla del Poblenou that conserves the different textures of a premises with different constructional stages, unifying them through the serenity of a single colour, thus highlighting the product on its shelves and also drawing attention to the bar-display unit tiled in tile ceramic. –A concept of space that conveys the craftsmanship and delicacy that goes into producing their coffee from natural materials and handmade elements, an honest and simple space that seeks the serenity that symbolizes the peaceful moment to have a good coffee.