OPA constructs "urban greenhouse" for Mexico City restaurant

Local studio OPA has designed Plumbago, a garden shed-style restaurant in Mexico City's Cuauhtémoc neighbourhood, clad in corrugated polycarbonate sheet.

Plumbago is spread across a duo of gabled volumes constructed next to each other in a compact infill plot in bustling Cuauhtémoc, sandwiched by contrasting multistorey buildings.

OPA designed the first, larger structure with corrugated polycarbonate siding. Housing a 70-guest main dining area and bar, the translucent building mimics the appearance and tranquillity of a light-filled garden shed.

"We wanted to create an urban greenhouse – a peaceful space filled with light and vegetation nestled in the concrete jungle of Mexico City," OPA co-founders Rosalía Yuste and Diego Mañón told Dezeen.

A smaller structure was clad with ochre-hued galvanised steel, created to accommodate the private kitchen and service areas.

Guests enter the restaurant volume via sliding polycarbonate front doors, which open to reveal small concrete steps and a decorative perforated red brick wall.

Inside, the open-plan dining area and bar feature additional intricate brickwork spread across the stack-bonded concrete block walls.

Yuste and Mañón applied the bricks using local crafting techniques, arranging them in a combination of herringbone and latticed formations to add "different character to each area of the restaurant".

Sunlight filters through the translucent gabled roof, interrupted only by thin timber rafters that hold the structure in place.

"We wanted to maximise natural light and visual transparency between the street and the interior terrace, encouraging the curiosity of the passersby," explained Yuste and Mañón.

"The result is a room inundated with light, creating a harmonious and unique atmosphere," added the pair.

Minimalist tables and chairs were positioned across the dining area, finished in wood and steel to echo the materials used to create the restaurant's architecture.

A series of subtle planters and hanging baskets features across the open-plan space, adding to its overall greenhouse effect.

"Our aim was to accentuate the structure, highlighting the contrast between the industrial feel of the steel and polycarbonate sheet with the natural texture of the brick and vegetation," said Yuste and Mañón.

On top of offering a Mediterranean-style menu, Plumbago also hosts community events, including standup comedy nights.

Elsewhere in Mexico City, polycarbonate also appears on the interior of a boba tea shop recently designed by Worc. Local studio MYT+GLVDK recently created an industrial-style restaurant in the city's Polanco neighbourhood.

The photography is by Ariadna Polo.

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