SEDE Café by MYTGLVDK delivers modular, community-driven specialty coffee spaces in Mexico City, blending architecture, branding, and efficiency. The design introduces a system of compact modules, kiosks, and islands, each operated by small teams supported by standardized workflows. The plug-and-play grid organizes bars and menus, with a material palette that emphasizes visibility and approachability in micro-locations and constrained sites.
Design Identity and Operational Efficiency
Located in Mexico City, SEDE Café adopts a compact format, small storefronts, kiosks, and islands, designed to activate commercial corridors. The project, led by Andrés Mier y Terán and Regina Galvanduque of MYTGLVDK, implements a high-performance, replicable spatial language centered on ergonomics and graphic integration. The concise menu and streamlined flows are supported by a material palette balancing chromatic intensity and warmth, adaptable across diverse settings without sacrificing the brand’s personality.
Filling the Gap Between Chains and Local Cafés
SEDE Café targets a segment between large chains and neighborhood cafés, offering specialty coffee with reduced complexity. MYTGLVDK’s commission focused on optimizing every square centimeter, enabling operation in spaces under 40 m² and kiosks within shopping centers or semi-public plazas. The strategy includes a pre-order app to minimize wait times and align with contemporary consumer habits, resulting in a lightweight, reproducible format that allows for rapid deployment and low upfront investment.
Architecture and Branding Integration
Brand identity, developed by Monumento, is translated into architecture through spatial application of the graphic system. Signage, menu boards, and wayfinding become structural elements. The signature blue acts as a visual beacon, amplifying the presence of each unit. Typography and illustrations are integrated into frames and light boxes for legibility and consistency. Coordination between branding and architecture ensures instant recognition, even for small footprints.
The modular grid structures bars, displays, shelving, and menus, enabling both narrow and wide storefronts to use a unified design vocabulary. Preparation stations are designed to minimize movement and downtime, with clear order-pay-pickup flows and integrated under-bar storage. Rounded counters and softened edges improve circulation in tight layouts, supporting quick openings and consistent operations across multiple locations.
Material Palette and Atmosphere
The material palette features electric blue steel, tzalam wood, and cream surfaces illuminated in warm tones. The primary structure uses oven-baked painted steel. Canopies and slatted ceilings diffuse light, while the overhead grid houses lighting and exposed conduits in matching colors. Work surfaces are made from light, durable materials; pastry displays combine robust carpentry and glass; curved fronts include shelving for merchandise, creating an orderly and inviting presence.
CAFE & RESTAURANT PROJECTS ON ARCHISCENE
SEDE Café has opened multiple locations in residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors, revitalizing spaces once occupied by stationery shops or convenience stores. The format encourages brief visits, counter service, and minimal furniture. Partnerships with local bakeries and specialty coffee producers strengthen community connections and support short supply chains.
Some models operate without fixed water or drainage, relying on internal storage and collection systems. Standardized components, modules, hardware, lighting, and signage, reduce fabrication and installation time. The consistent spatial grammar and robust graphic system ensure brand continuity, hygiene, safety, and quality.
Brand Vision by MYTGLVDK
For the project MYTGLVDK integrates architecture, industrial design, and branding to create a space that builds community. The brand is instantly recognizable, with efficient service and a warm, legible atmosphere, even in the smallest locations. Each module becomes a visible point, fostering daily routines and demonstrating that architecture can be efficient, precise, and urban.
MYTGLVDK is a multidisciplinary studio in Mexico City, founded by Andrés Mier y Terán and Regina Galvanduque. The firm’s methodology integrates architecture, industrial design, and branding, delivering innovative, functional, and visually refined solutions for hospitality, retail, residential, cultural, and exhibition projects.
For more visit mytglvdk.com.
