MANTONELA Showroom by Daniela Bucio Sistos & Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño

This 75 m² pastry showroom in Morelia, Michoacán, designed by Daniela Bucio Sistos // Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, showcases a refined approach to interior architecture. Completed in 2023, the space blends warm textures, delicate materiality, and inviting spatial composition, captured beautifully through Dane Alonso’s photography.

A Sweet Encounter: Mantonela Pastry Showroom

Mantonela is a charming pastry showroom situated on the second floor of a mid-20th century building in La Loma, Morelia. Designed by Daniela Bucio Sistos and her team at Taller de Arquitectura y Diseño, the project transforms a former production space into an elegant showroom with the essence of Marie Antoinette-inspired aesthetics. By simplifying historical motifs and carefully integrating modern elements, the space balances sophistication and whimsy.

Exterior Design: Green Façade & Distinctive Ironwork

The showroom’s green façade creates a visual link to Santomate, the renowned restaurant closely associated with Mantonela’s dessert production. To make the showroom inviting, the architects redesigned the façade with new patterns and distinctive ironwork on doors and windows, differentiating it from the surrounding structure. The existing railing was repainted and carefully updated to complement the vibrant exterior palette.

Interior Transformation: Light, Color, and Craftsmanship

Stepping inside Mantonela, visitors experience a dramatic shift in atmosphere. The once dark wooden beams and brick walls are now painted white, brightening the interior while preserving authentic materials such as tejamanil and traditional tile flooring, which maintain the historical essence of the site.

A highlight of the interior is the handcrafted chandelier, created using pink blown glass spheres handmade in Jalisco, which adds a playful yet elegant touch to the exhibition bar ceiling. This reinterpretation of a classical crystal chandelier bridges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.

Curved Display Bar: Breaking Orthogonality

At the heart of the showroom is a semi-circular display bar, strategically positioned to break the space’s rigid orthogonal lines. This design invites visitors to explore the bar along its curve, discovering a different dessert at each section of the vibrant pink counter. Opposite the bar, a large window opens to a previously service-only patio, now transformed into a small garden with pink pots, adding a touch of greenery and enhancing the showroom experience.

Preserving the Past, Designing the Future

Mantonela perfectly illustrates how careful adaptive reuse and interior architecture can breathe new life into a historic building. By balancing preservation with innovation, Daniela Bucio Sistos has created a pastry showroom that celebrates craftsmanship, color, and experiential design.

All photographs are works of Dane Alonso