Manjatu, Córdoba, Argentina

When Córdoba natives Mariano Mas and Juan Ignacio Goroso began making homemade pasta in their own kitchens for friends and family in the city, few would have thought it would eventually turn into a best seller gourmet brand with their own shop. 

Located on a quiet street in the affluent Cerro de Las Rosas neighbourhood, the new store attracts attention, not least for its prominent exterior that juts out onto the pavement. Designed by local firm Estudio Montevideo, together with carpenter Pablo Dellatorre, Manjatu was inspired by the classic shape of a house, most often drawn by children. ‘From day one, we thought that the sidewalk should become a key element of this project. We wanted to literally get the shop onto the pavement and invite people to come in and to recognise, from the outside, that something different was going on,’ explains architect Gabriela Jagodnik.

Indeed, a row of 11 sharply arched Guaica wood silhouettes outside continue straight into the interior, where a series of shelves - style with minimal produce - flank a long marble table, which takes centre stage. This leads to the counter at the end, which is backed by a wall clad in white subway tiles and adorned with a 1930s wooden butcher’s fridge.

Wooden herb planters outside, meanwhile, encourage shoppers to pick them, free of charge, to fix their own delicious sauces.