isern serra curates terracotta 'origo' café interiors for barcelona's sant antoni neighborhood

isern serra curates terracotta 'origo' café interiors for barcelona's sant antoni neighborhood

Celebrating Simplicity and Craftsmanship in barcelona

 

Isern Serra has designed Origo, a new café in Barcelona, emphasizing simplicity, craftsmanship, and authenticity. Located in the vibrant Sant Antoni neighborhood, the café invites visitors to experience the artisanal process of bread-making in an immersive environment. Origo’s design highlights the craftsmanship and care behind every product it offers. The space is characterized by natural materials and handmade elements, creating a serene and honest atmosphere. A standout feature is a large sculptural bread display that serves as the heart of the space, showcasing freshly baked goods while offering a direct connection to the production process.

isern serra origo barcelona
images © Salva López

 

 

isern serra’s Tribute to Tradition

 

Founded in 2018 by François de Halleux, Origo was conceived in Barcelona as a return to the essence of bread-making, prioritizing traditional techniques and natural ingredients. The name ‘Origo,’ meaning ‘origin’ in Latin, reflects this mission to offer wholesome, nutritious bread made with stone-milled flours, sourdough starters, and extended fermentation processes.

 

The project by Isern Serra and led by Aran Escudero is divided into two main areas — the workshop and the public store. Interiors are curated to celebrate transparency and authenticity. Visitors can enter through two street-level entrances: one leading to the retail space and another offering views into the workshop. The café’s elongated layout posed a design challenge that Isern Serra transformed into an opportunity by incorporating a long, architectural bread display bar as the central element. Adjacent to this is a café counter made from dyed iroko wood with a stainless steel top, illuminated by six stainless steel Frama lamps.

isern serra origo barcelona
Isern Serra designs Barcelona’s Origo café with a focus on craftsmanship and simplicity

 

 

origo: a café curated with Thoughtful Details

 

Earth tones dominate the café’s interior, with walls finished in manually applied ecoclay, adding texture and depth. At the rear, an agora-like space allows visitors to sample the products. This area features a high micro-cement bar with Frama stools and a large communal table overlooking the workshop through expansive windows. The design ensures that customers feel connected to the baking process, with bakers visible at work in a monochromatic terracotta-toned workshop outfitted with stainless steel ovens and mixers. Serax sconces and geometric concrete lights enhance the ambiance.

 

Origo’s terracotta theme extends to its exterior, where visitors encounter a small outdoor seating area featuring terracotta tile flooring, a matching bench, and textured walls. The warm, earthy palette ties the indoor and outdoor spaces together, creating a cohesive design language.

isern serra origo barcelona
the space features natural materials and handmade elements to create a serene atmosphere

isern serra origo barcelona
a sculptural bread display serves as the central element showcasing freshly baked goods

isern serra origo barcelona
Origo emphasizes traditional bread-making with stone-milled flours and sourdough starters

salva-lopez-isern-serra-origo-cafe-barcelona-spain-designboom-06a

the café is divided into a public store and a workshop with views of the production process

isern serra origo barcelona
earthy tones and manually applied ‘ecoclay’ walls add texture and warmth to the interior

salva-lopez-isern-serra-origo-cafe-barcelona-spain-designboom-08a

visitors can enjoy products in a communal space while observing bakers at work

 

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project info:

 

name: Origo Café

interior design: Isern Serra | @isernserra

location: Barcelona, Spain

team leader: Aran Escudero
carpentry: Fusteria J. Vidal

graphics: Hey

photography art direction: Aasheen Mittal

photography: © Salva López | @salvalopez

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