Where Spear Street paired warm-toned pale oak with bright-white work surfaces, the materiality here is much darker with rich walnut cabinetry and earthy neutral counter tops. The variation in palettes creates a complimentary yet distinct character between the Companio sites, tied together through the design of the custom-made joinery and unmistakable orange branding.
The unit shell remains largely untouched, existing floor and ceiling treatments playing into the raw aesthetic of the design and wider ethos of the company. Companio stated ‘we’re taste driven, and we are here to be a part of a real food scene in our city’. This set a brief that prioritised the product – artisanal bread, pastry and viennoiserie alongside quality coffee. Displaying baked goods and providing a welcoming space for enjoying them was paramount.
The evening offering is an exciting new use for the space, requiring the design to be adaptable in fostering a transitional atmosphere from day to night. This is achieved through multi-level, dimmable lighting and moveable joinery pieces on casters for customisable preparation and seating configurations.
Being a ground floor unit surrounded by red brick mill buildings that are quintessentially Ancoats, the space is often cast in shadow. Instead of fighting this the design exploits it, allowing it to assist in creating an intimate and cosy environment where the richness and warmth of materials isn’t compromised and where artificial lighting is used to spotlight produce and points of service for customer convivence.