formant studio layers brutalist and industrial textures at marne café in mexico city

a raw immersive interior at marne café

Tucked into the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, FORMANT Studio’s Marne Café brings together architecture, gastronomy, and tactile design. The café and bakery take a timeless approach to contemporary space-making — grounded in high-quality, locally sourced products and a strong material sensibility. Inside, a raw yet composed brutalist palette defines the atmosphere.

Exposed concrete and metal structures, dark wood, and pared-back industrial lighting form the backbone of the interior, while accents of color in the upholstery and wall-mounted artworks offset the otherwise neutral environment. Photographs framed in metal add to the layered visual language, and suspended ceiling speakers infuse the space with a carefully curated soundscape, reinforcing the immersive atmosphere.

formant studio unites different uses with a consistent language

Spanning 130 square meters, Marne Café is loosely divided into two zones, with the first a restaurant and counter space that opens onto the street, and tucked further inside, a wine bar tucked. Despite their different uses, both areas are stitched together by a consistent material and spatial language. All furnishings — tables, stools, chairs, lighting, and even the service counter — were custom-designed by Mexico City-based FORMANT Studio to reflect the project’s functional needs and aesthetic restraint. The layout follows a subtle logic that allows guests to flow easily through the space, sit briefly, or stay longer depending on the rhythm of their visit.

project info:

name: Marne Café
architect: FORMANT Studio | @formant.studio

location: Mexico City

photographer: Fabián Martínez | @fabianml

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.