Laboratorio Espresso

Text description provided by architect.

Laboratorio Espresso is a small Milanese streetside cafe, located within the commercial centre of Glasgow.

An intentionally simple and robust interior has been carved out of the commercial building within which it sits, revealing timber linings around high level, with concrete, brick and cement particle board forming the backdrop to human activity below.

This happily coincided with the recovery and re-use of the timber shutter boards from the new Steven Holl Architects' Reid Building 5 for the Glasgow School of Art.

Formwork linings are generally unseen and discarded after use, however in this instance the texture and richness of the timbers are celebrated.

The brickwork floor is extruded in a stack bond, and capped with precast concrete to create an active plinth from which coffee is served.