CAAM + Arquitectos references warehouses for vaulted restaurant in Mexico

Mexico City studio CAAM + Arquitectos has vaulted a metal roof over a Japanese restaurant with brick walls in Querétaro, Mexico, referencing the industrial character of the area.

Sōko opened in 2024 to serve Japanese teppanyaki – or hibachi – in a space that respects both the culinary tradition and local building methods, but through a contemporary lens.

CAAM + Arquitectos worked to merge functionality and aesthetics in a linear building with a variety of spatial zones.

Visitors enter the restaurant through an outdoor garden that is isolated from the street by red brick walls, set on a concrete foundation wall that creates a foot to connect with the ground plane.

The bricks separate into screens along the rounded corners, revealing small glimpses of the patio.

Trees cast shadows on the lobby and dining area and bounce light off the water in a small, round pool, "creating a dynamic visual effect that stimulates the senses and enhances the overall feeling of calm and contemplation throughout the space," the studio said.

The Japanese word sōko, meaning "warehouse," informed the design and prompted the team to preserve the industrial materials characteristic of the area – brick, metal and concrete – and integrate them into the design.

From above, the building seems to dissolve, removing layers and revealing space at the western corner.

Metal I-beams run the length of the building, supporting an oblong vault of corrugated metal that encloses the restaurant.

Trapezoidal concrete brackets divide the space into smaller, more private areas for an intimate dining experience.

The brackets "facilitate a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors, improving both the functional and visual distribution of the project," the studio said.

A suspended concrete planter set on top of the brackets serves as the centrepiece of the design.

"This structure not only organizes the space but also transforms the atmosphere, establishing a connection between the interior and exterior," the studio said.

"Beyond its practical functions – such as ventilating the teppanyaki stations and optimizing lighting – the planter becomes a decorative element by incorporating greenery, adding freshness and vitality to the setting."

The planter runs along the south side of the space, separating dining tables. Meanwhile, the northern third of the building includes open seating and a feature teppanyaki bar with rust-coloured countertops and a wavy, mat backdrop.

The kitchen is set at the east end of the building with a small mezzanine level where private parties can dine in the arch of the roof.

The warehouse-like materials are complemented by wood furniture, subdued lighting and decorative details, creating a balance between industrial and modern environments. Polished concrete floors provide a flat relief to the geometries and textures of the interior.

Other restaurants recently completed in Mexico include an "urban greenhouse" clad in corrugated polycarbonate by OPA, a Singaporean restaurant made with 50 per cent recycled materials by Locus and a fast-casual restaurant with green metal mesh walls by MYT+GLVDK.

The photography is by Zaickz Moz.

Project credits:

Architecture: CAAM (@caam.arq)
Project team: Camilo Moreno Oliveros, Daniel Moreno Ahuja, Emilio Díaz, Erika Rodríguez
Collaboration: KRIM (Karen Rauch and Isabella Medrano), GERMINA (Cecilia Díaz)
Construction: CIMERA (Héctor Anselmo and María Anselmo)
Graphic design: Tana Campagna Oliveros

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