Glazed pottery inspires the Santomate restaurant in Mexico
Designed by Mexican architect Daniela Bucio Sistos, the Santomate restaurant tells an understated story of craftsmanship and natural beauty.
Kieron is a freelance writer and Digital Consultant who doesn't consider himself a design lover but a user of design - which to him is more than enough.
LinkedinLocated in the Mexican city of Morelia, the original construction dates back to the mid-19th century and features previous remodelling from the 90s.
It consists of three different properties across 870 m2, which local studio Daniela Bucio Sistos has spatially and visually connected to create a cosy dining atmosphere.
Connected via a central patio, which serves as a central axis for the project, here a series of muted spaces shift inside and out.
As such, a rich variety of materials and textures play on the different programs.
For example, a large terrace is covered in green tiles, a nod to the natural foliage of a large tree that anchors the area.
Inside, a colour palette that ranges in shades of green, blue and yellow, inspired by the region’s glazed pottery.
The largest dining room features a fireplace that covers an entire wall in wood.
Meanwhile, the opposite wall is dressed with more than fifty pineapples of glazed pottery, handcrafted in San Jose de Gracia, a town north of Morelia.
Santomate restaurant highlights local craft and historical architecture
The Santomate restaurant Daniela Bucio Sistos seeks to be an experience that unfolds slowly as the user makes their way throughout the space.
Upon entering the narrow entrance, a dark green foyer is a small nod to what awaits inside.
In the bar, a curved green handcrafted tile bar accompanied by a copper countertop reflects the warm lighting, which accentuates the existing wooden beams—an original feature charging the project with historical charm.
