La Crema is about gourmet pastry, handmade chocolates, high-quality ice-cream and coffee: the made-in-Italy way to enjoy food. The store is located in Dongguan CBD, a dynamic and growing financial centre. It is a lively place, attended daily by business travellers, hotel guests and during leisure time.

The project focuses on extending the indoor space towards the outdoor urban living area, mixing inside and outside. The facade doors, once open, become tables that invite customers to join the patisserie. Its flowing space, between public and private, takes part actively to the CBD buzz.

The colour palette gives a heartwarming mark to the place, spreading to the refined nuances of cream, Espresso foam and dark cocoa. Layout and finishes define a varying and dynamic rhythm through details and materials, suggesting a multisensorial experience that connects sight to smell, taste to touch.

The orthogonal matrix of the store is broken by the twisting central pillar, which responds to two different requirements. Firstly, it allocates several central plumbings spiraling from higher grounds, in order to optimise the available room; secondly, its movement naturally ensures the distinctive alignment of the counter and floor.

Design: Makemapo