In the bustling center of Pantin, a suburb straddling the edges of Paris, a modest 1935 Art Deco building has been reborn—not as a museum or monument, but as a specialty coffee shop and roastery Anbassa designed by Office Abrami Rojas (OAR).
What began as a simple design project evolved into an architectural love letter to the past, crafted by the Italian-Mexican firm Office Abrami Rojas (OAR). With respect for the building’s history and a bold vision for its future, the architects transformed this space into a tribute to craftsmanship, transparency, and design.
The turning point came when the architects uncovered the building’s raw essence. Beneath layers of insulation lay reinforced concrete walls and geometric glass domes, relics of its original Art Deco glory designed by French architect René Tanalias (1898–1985). By peeling back these layers, OAR not only rediscovered a forgotten past but brought it into dialogue with the present.
As the architects noted, “We discovered and enhanced the magnificent reinforced concrete and glass domes.” These domes, with their Euclidean forms of ellipses, squares, and circles, now flood the space with light, shaping the rhythm of its architecture. Their refined yet monumental geometry blends the building’s historic character with its modern function.
This transformation was a collaborative effort between architects, clients, and local craftsmen. Every detail, from custom steel furniture to terracotta cladding, balances sleek modernity with earthy textures, respecting and enhancing the building’s natural patina.
The café, named Anbassa, reflects this philosophy. Founded in 2007 by Sylvain Chauvineau and Jacques Chambrillon, the café sources beans from Ethiopia’s Welega province—a commitment to origin and craft that parallels the architectural approach. Transparency defines the layout, with a roasting facility visible through floor-to-ceiling glass at the core. This openness invites patrons to experience the coffee’s journey from bean to brew.
Natural light plays a central role, filtering through the glass domes and highlighting the building’s sharp geometry. Minimalist lighting complements the raw surfaces, while a corridor leads visitors from the café’s entrance to an intimate seating area beneath a second dome. The design creates moments of discovery, uniting openness with subtle contrasts between raw and refined elements.
