Kali Coffee is a cafe in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, designed by architecture and interior design studio Concentrico. Its interior is built around handmade clay roof tiles, used on the walls instead of on a roof.
A link to the coffee growers
The idea came from the homes of coffee producers in the rural areas around Chiapas, whose roofs are made of handmade clay tiles. Using the same tiles inside the cafe brings a piece of the growers' world into the city and gives the brand, Kali Coffee Roasters, a warm and recognisable texture.
Tiles that work for sound and light
The tile walls and lattice are the first thing visitors notice. Their curved shape and the clay itself also help absorb and deflect sound, which improves the acoustics in a hard-surfaced room.
Lighting brings out the depth of the texture. The curved shadows cast by the tiles look like coffee beans, tying the space back to what is sold there. Wood adds warmth, raw concrete gives the room an industrial edge, and plants soften the mix.
Plan and sections
The floor plan and sections show how the tile walls are arranged through the cafe.
As a general point, a single local material used with care can carry the identity of a small commercial interior and solve practical problems such as noise at the same time.
Project credits
- Project: Kali Coffee, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico
- Design: Concentrico
- Photography: Paco Alvarez (The Raws) and Jose Miguel Gonzalez (Apertura Studio)
- Source: Contemporist