Dolce Gusto Neo Flagship Store by Estudio Guto Requena: A Sustainable and Algorithmic Design Innovation in São Paulo

 Architects: Estudio Guto Requena 

A New Era of Retail Architecture: 3D-Printed and Biodegradable

The Dolce Gusto Neo Flagship Store, designed by renowned Brazilian architecture studio Estudio Guto Requena, stands as a pioneering example of sustainable architecture, cutting-edge parametric design, and biodegradable construction. Set in a public park in São Paulo, this temporary structure breaks new ground as Latin America's first 3D-printed architectural work made with biodegradable materials.

Conceived to launch the Dolce Gusto Neo coffee machines—crafted using recycled ocean plastics and paired with compostable capsules—the store exemplifies the future of circular design thinking in retail spaces.

Nature-Inspired Form: The Coffee Flower as Architectural Muse

The store’s design draws direct inspiration from the five-petal geometry of a coffee flower, forming a dome-like structure defined along five radial axes. Each axis features a glass portico, resulting in 360-degree visual permeability and equalized entry points, eliminating any traditional “front” or “back.”

Inside, the organic form creates a serene, temple-like ambiance, enhanced by a central glass skylight that fills the space with natural light. A circular installation of curved LED panels anchors the store's center, presenting immersive digital content while visually unifying the layout.

Sustainability at Every Layer: Materials and Lifecycle

Sustainability was not an afterthought—it was the store’s central premise. The structure features a prefabricated glued laminated timber (GLT) frame, sourced from reforested pine, covered by a biodegradable outer shell crafted using CNC-milled molds derived from algorithmic modeling. This waffle-structured shell uses minimal material while maintaining stability and fluidity.

Upon dismantling after its estimated two-year lifespan, the wood components will be fully recycled, and the plaster elements crushed and reused as agricultural fertilizer, feeding the soil with nutrients like calcium and sulfur—completing a virtuous material cycle.

Scalable and Accessible: The Dolce Gusto Neo Kiosks

Building on the flagship’s architectural language, Dolce Gusto Neo’s kiosks, intended for deployment across shopping malls, follow the same flower-inspired five-axis layout and sustainable ethos. Constructed entirely from recycled pine wood, these smaller-scale retail units are digitally fabricated, minimizing waste through precision CNC milling and algorithmic optimization.

The circular LED displays and minimal-waste design strategy carry through into the kiosks, ensuring continuity across the brand’s physical presence while maintaining a low environmental footprint.

Parametric Design and Circular Economy in Architecture

At the heart of the project is the integration of parametric tools, allowing designers to digitally simulate and optimize every aspect of the form—from material thickness to structural performance and fabrication workflow. This approach reduces waste, enhances efficiency, and reimagines construction as a regenerative process, not a destructive one.

A Landmark for Climate-Responsive Retail Design

More than just a product launch, the Dolce Gusto Neo Flagship is an experiential space that embodies the urgency of climate-conscious design. In rejecting polluting materials like concrete and steel in favor of recyclable wood, 3D-printed bioplastics, and algorithm-driven efficiency, Estudio Guto Requena challenges the industry to rethink how we build in the age of environmental crisis.

All photographs are works of Leonardo Finotti