Header: Jose Miguel Gonzalez / Apertura
It starts with the smell of warm bread and the hum of neighborhood voices. Mi Pan is a bakery where culture rises with the dough.
Directly translating to “my bread,” Mi Pan is a local bakery nestled in the heart of Mexico City. Designed by Concentrico in collaboration with Firmalt, this project pays homage to traditional Mexican bakeries, which are loved by many and hold significant importance in local daily life, while elevating the spatial experience with a contemporary touch.
“Visits to the bakery live in the memory of all Mexicans. The smell of freshly baked bread, the company of that loved one who opens the door for you and hands you a pair of tongs to select your favorite piece.”
As lead designer Alejandro Pena Villarreal puts it, the concept of Mi Pan comes from its heart, its kitchen.
With a 40-year legacy of serving the community with artisanal bread, the design team needed to preserve the essence of the bakery: celebrating the craftsmanship of bakers without straying too far from its roots, particularly in terms of design.
This is especially evident in the way they kept the self-serve layouts, maintaining the traditional panadería experience and allowing customers to share it with their loved ones.
While this open display concept might seem simple, it’s what keeps the spirit of the neighbourhood bakery alive.
“The design of Mi Pan focuses on creating community, respecting, and honoring the traditional Mexican bakeries.”
While designing a bakery may seem like a simple undertaking at first glance, there were still design challenges along the way. The most prominent one is how to create a space that embraces and resonates with the local community.
Locals in the area often see bakeries as a simple daily errand and consider stores that invest in design and aesthetics as an afterthought, as opposed to a necessity.
Because of this, it grew into something the team had to navigate thoughtfully and in context, which they have done successfully.
Mi Pan’s design showcases how tradition and modernity can come together through a thoughtful and playful mix of materials.
To create a visual link between the baking process and the shopping experience, metallic baking trays were incorporated into the design, appearing on the walls, displays, and even the ceiling, making it the central feature of the space.
Beyond serving as decoration, the tray ceiling acts as a diffuser for ambient lighting, complemented by spotlights to display the range of breads better.
Additionally, the trays overhead also help break up the height and add visual interest, allowing the room to feel more welcoming and intimate.
The use of pinewood boards to evoke warmth, ceramic tiles reminiscent of traditional bakery aesthetics, and the terrazzo flooring inspired by local supermarkets create a striking balance against the cool metal of the baking trays.
Custom metallic furniture drawing from 1980s local restaurants was also used to complete the nostalgic experience, while the vibrant orange of Mi Pan’s branding brings vibrancy and cohesion to the space.
Combined, these design elements create a welcoming, approachable space that honours Mi Pan’s 40-year bakery heritage while giving it a new look and feel without straying too far from its roots.
