Mexican firms Esrawe Studio and Cadena y Associados have collaborated on the design of Tierra Garat, a new cafe in Mexico City's fashionable Polanco district.

The design team overhauled an existing building in the trendy neighbourhood, which lies just west of the city's historic centre and is recognisable for its colonial architecture.

Garat is a well known brand in Mexico, being the first to bring gourmet coffee to supermarkets. "Reinventing itself as Tierra Garat, the brand now introduces an authentic, forthright and contemporary Mexican concept," said the designers.

The small coffee house was designed by local firm Esrawe Studio, which took charge of the renovation, and Cadena y Associados, responsible for the store's packaging, signage and graphic identity.

"The overall idea takes us on a multi-sensory journey to alluring coffee farms and brings us back to the roots of earth," they explained.

From the verdant street front, visitors access the cafe through a leafy terrace with outdoor seating. A cantilevered upper storey forms the entrance to the shop's interior.

Inside, masonry blocks line the walls and make up the longitudinal counter where patrons can order coffee or other Mexican specialities. The pared-down offering was chosen to focus on local flavours.

Wooden tables and chairs are used inside and outside, a nod to traditional Mexican handcraft. "The textures taken from embroidered leather, embossed hide, knits, and the earth, comprise a language that imprints a particular personality in the brand," said the designers.

The exterior volume of the cafe is clad in hundreds of angled clay panels, lending a distinctive texture to the facade. This complements the brick and wood materials used elsewhere in the project.

Esrawe Studio has recently designed a range of cabinets that recall the heritage of mezcal. They also collaborated with Cadena y Associados to create modular half-spheres that can be combined to form incense holders, perfume bottles, or vases.

Other renovations in the Mexican capital include an art-deco-style building that was refurbished by Zeller & Moye and a mixed-use venue by Francisco Pardo that is comprised of a modern extension sat atop of a heritage building in the Juárez area.

Photography is by Jaime Navarro.

Project credits:

Concept & experience: Esrawe + Cadena
Art direction: Ignacio Cadena + Héctor Esrawe
Interiors & furniture: Esrawe Studio
Brand development: Cadena + Asociados Concept Design
Esrawe Studio team: Javier García María Santibañez Adrián Suárez
Cadena + Associados team: Nora Cavazos Ricardo Bideau