Groundbreaking aesthetics and a flexible space plan were the main asks when it came to MO, a bakehouse and espresso bar in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The design, which aims to evoke an otherworldly feel, is the creation of Spanish firm Masquespacio, which has previously won hospitality awards for its highly experiential, thought-provoking public spaces.
To transform the space’s 400-square-metre shell, Masquespacio decided on a multi-faceted theme, exploring the three main states (solid, liquid and gas) of water — which is not only a key ingredient in MO’s pastries and espresso but also a magical medium able to distort perspective and reality, notes firm co-founder Christophe Penasse. For this reason, a material palette of reflective...
This content is available exclusively to My AZURE+ members.
To subscribe to My AZURE+, choose your preferred option below and get immediate access to the full magazine experience.
Thank you for supporting AZURE.
Choose your preferred delivery option from below and get access to groundbreaking architecture, vibrant interiors, inspiring ideas, exciting new furniture and products.
All subscription options include access to exclusive web content including the latest edition.
- #300
- Sept/Oct 2023
- In our 300th issue, we look at the rich history of social housing in Vienna, exciting new commercial developments in Detroit, and how Naples has put art and architecture at the centre of its subway expansion.
- Get the Issue
- #299
- July/August 2023
- Throughout the pages of this AZ Awards issue, you will encounter marvels that boldly address both problems and possibilities.
- Read the Issue
- #298
- May/June 2023
- The expectation that people will keep their heads down at their workstations from nine to five with the occasional jaunt to the water cooler or sojourn in a group meeting has gone the way of the cubicle. Offices, post-lockdown, need to be places that provide mental and spiritual sustenance. And those featured in this issue do exactly that.
- Read the Issue
- #297
- Mar/Apr 2023
- In assembling the stories in this issue about circular design, one word kept coming up: value. By rethinking “value,” we’re also reclaiming our own values. If we want to strive for a healthier planet, one that is more ethical and sustainable, we have several examples to follow — and this issue is brimming with them.
- Get the Issue
- #296
- Jan/Feb 2023
- In preparing this edition of Azure, the first of the year and the latest of our popular annual houses issues, we sought out to present a diversity of typologies.
- Get the Issue
- #295
- Nov/Dec 2022
- When we think about home, we often think of its comforts — especially during the winter months. How can we craft interiors to maximize a sense of spiritual warmth? The stories in this issue present a myriad of approaches to sculpting space within a range of footprints.
- Read the Issue
- #294
- Sept/Oct 2022
- From Toronto's landmark Ace Hotel to an inviting — and remarkably sustainable — furniture factory in Oslo, the most important new cultural projects have multiple raisons d’être. In our Sept/Oct 2022 issue, we celebrate the common goal at their hearts: bringing people in and together.
- Read the Issue
- #293
- July/August 2022
- The 12th annual AZ Awards recognize excellence in architecture, landscape, design, interiors, environmental leadership, social good and more.
- Read the Issue
- #292
- May/June 2022
- In our latest issue, we talk to professionals in Canada and around the world who are grappling with how to upend entrenched assumptions about the need for blood, sweat and tears in service of architecture.
- Read the Issue
- #291
- Mar/Apr 2022
- What does hospitality look like in 2022? Our March/April issue features hotel and restaurant projects that deliver new experiences for a new era.
- Read the Issue
- #290
- Jan/Feb 2022
- Our Jan/Feb 2022 issue kicks off the new year with inspired – and inspiring – residential architecture from around the world.
- Read the Issue
- #289
- Nov/Dec 2021
- Our Nov/Dec 2021 issue caps the year with inspiration for creating amazing residential interiors, with projects by Fala Atelier, REDO, Ben Allen Studio, Alain Carle Architecte, Productora and more.
- Get the Issue
In Saudi Arabia, Masquespacio delivers an interior inspired by the element of water for espresso bar MO.