Project name: Mulberry
Location: 14 Ausekļa Street, Riga, Latvia
Architects: Open AD
Design team: Zane Tetere-Sulce (lead architect), Beatrise Dzerve, Zane Legzdina, Jelena Ozolina-Jelisejeva, Elina Tetere
Year: 2020
Total area: 183,48 m2
Photographer: Alvis Rozenbergs
Project description from architect firms Open AD:
While Riga has plenty casual bakeries, it has far fewer grand patisseries where each cake is a piece of art. Located in the so-called ‘Quiet Centre’, a lavish neighbourhood rich in Art Nouveau, Mulberry fills the gap. Open AD’s design is informed by the location, historical context and the art of pastry making.
Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs
Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs
The neighbourhood is tranquil and dotted in green, Mulberry’s building was recently refurbished. We reflect the colours of its facade in the interior along with mulberry-inspired tones. Throughout the space, rounded shapes also honour the building’s Art Nouveau heritage. While many authentic interior features had been lost, it was a deliberate choice to reinstate a sense of history and make clients feel like they’d travelled back to the area’s 1920s heyday. We achieved a feelign of historical luxury by embracing exquisite materials like marble, brass and the floor tiles, as well as stylised, custom made furniture.
Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs
The warm environment with features like window seats invites customers to allow themselves an unhurried experience. The patisserie and its interior are a statement against the fast pace of 21st century living. A standout feature is the handmade and one-of-a-kind wall decor. Pieced together from a patissier’s tools, the decor is an homage to the work that goes in to produce every cake and pastry. The patissiers’ creations are displayed like pieces of art in the bespoke counter with an elegant glass top. A miniature cake gallery.
Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs Open AD © Alvis Rozenbergs