pedro livni transforms historical house into bakery in uruguay

architect pedro livni transformed a small garden house, a heritage site built in 1927 and protected by the city, into ‘la linda’, a bakery and cafe space. the bakery, located in montevideo, uruguay, welcomes families and friends into its green courtyard, complete with outdoor seating areas that look into the exciting cooking station in the middle of the garden. 

the architect incorporated a bread production and cooking spaces into the new design, since the house’s existing footprint proved to be too limited. so the designers agreed on allocating public spaces in the house’s interiors, and adding a whole new area for the production of bread and food. this new area sits on a glass box that opens to the garden, enabling guests to peek into the kitchen space, and for the cooks and bread-makers to have an airy and vast garden view.

this adjacent new structure sits longitudinally on the garden, on one of the house’s sides. it is held up by a long steel beam that intersects the existing house. the beam is supported by an inverted V split column that places the whole structure in equilibrium and enables an open floor plan on the interior and a wide opening towards the exterior. the production space becomes a new landscape within the garden and complements the historical house it is attached to.

the existing house’s materials were restored and the original carpentry and finishes were white-washed to set a new canvas for the bakery. the industrial style of the added structure contrasts the old, preserved house. the complementing materials and colors create a welcoming atmosphere for a tea or coffee with family and friends.  

project info:

project name: la linda bakery carrasco

architect: pedro livni

location: calle potosí 1666, montevideo, uruguay

year: 2016

built area: 230 m2

construction: constructora doos 

structural consultant: ing. alberto catañy

photography: pablo casals aguirre