The architect Sofía Betancur has been commissioned to project a vibrant and diverse version of a traditional Italian pizzeria. Pizzeria della Madonna is located in the gastronomic and artistic center of Mexico City, the Roma Norte neighborhood.

The design is enriched and influenced by different artistic currents embodied in a neighboring parish, whose construction began in 1910. The mixture of styles used in the temple such as neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic, with elements such as semicircular arches, Corinthian columns, and wooden benches, creates a unique artistic style, which serves as a reinterpreted model in the restaurant.
Sofía Betancur's simple design has an "L" shaped plan. From the street, it is accessed through an elongated dining room, with oak wood benches leaning against the walls, whose final focus is the pizza oven. The oak flooring with straight lines leads to the oven space marked by a circle of continuous flooring that indicates the position of the oven and the access to the open kitchen.

The industrial materials of the kitchen are combined with the warm materials of the dining bar, providing a minimalist atmosphere of soft tones. The materials create a continuous contrast, blacksmith and stainless steel furniture, ceramic tiles, quartz countertops and terracotta tiles are mixed.

The rustic finish of the walls reveals multiple layers of paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial projects.


Pizzería della Madonna by Sofía Betancur. Photograph by Arturo Arrieta.


Pizzería della Madonna by Sofía Betancur. Photograph by Arturo Arrieta.
 

Project description by Sofía Betancur

Located next door to Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia and a few meters from plaza Rio de Janeiro in colonia Roma Norte, Pizzería della Madonna opens its doors at the end of 2022 to join the vibrant and diverse gastronomic scene of Mexico City and colonia Roma.

The architectural design is inspired by the neighboring parish, whose construction began in 1910. The temple reflects a mixture of neo-Romanesque, neo-Gothic, and eclectic styles. The semicircular arches, Corinthian columns and wooden benches arranged throughout the nave are elements reinterpreted in the spatial proposal of the project.

The concept is complemented by historical, pictorial research and the symbology of the Virgin Mary and Marian architecture in Europe, from which forms, colors, materials and spatial qualities are taken up. In this way, the proposal turns out to be a tribute to Mexican neo-colonial style and Italian religious architecture and iconography.


Pizzería della Madonna by Sofía Betancur. Photograph by Arturo Arrieta.

Access is through a long dining room, with oak wood benches leaning against the walls. The oven, the main element and the visual auction, make the place recognizable. Curved lines drawn on the floor and ceiling, echoing the oven’s circular geometry, create floor changes, lighting tracks, and a hanging shelf.

The blend of the open kitchen and bar with the dining room translates into a balanced combination of practical and utilitarian materials typical of industrial kitchens and warm materials that provide elegance and comfort. The blacksmith and stainless-steel furniture, ceramic tiles, quartz countertops, and epoxy floors contrast with oak wood floors, carpentry and furniture, and terracotta tiles and terrazzo countertops. The rustic finish on the walls reveals multiple layers of Paint that reflect almost a century of history of the house, which in the past housed homes and different commercial and retail projects.

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Architects
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Project team
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Design team.- Cesar Ávila G y Sergio Bau.
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Collaborators
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Engineers.- Leonel Nava.
Visual identity.- Faena studio.
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Builder
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Factor Eficiencia.
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Area
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98 sqm.
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Location
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Orizaba 37, Roma Norte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico.
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Manufacturers
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Woodwork.- Taller Nacional y Solana estudio.
Lighting.- Martín Leal.
Lighting.- Martín Leal.
Ceramic tiles.- Cesantoni.
Terracotta tiles.- Latitude Design Lab.
Wood floor.- The one.
Epoxy floor.- Stonhard.
Chairs.- HAY.
Tables.- Pedrali.
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Photography
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Sofía Betancur is an architect with a studio specializing in architectural, interior, and furniture design. It was founded in 2018 and is based in Mexico City. It is dedicated to fostering collaborative and interdisciplinary practices. Through playful and experimental design processes, his goal is to create unique solutions that respond to various fields of design, art, research, and academia.
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Published on: July 15, 2023
Cite: "Oak veneered religious symbology. Pizzería della Madonna by Sofía Betancur" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/oak-veneered-religious-symbology-pizzeria-della-madonna-sofia-betancur> ISSN 1139-6415
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