On the outskirts of Chueki, one of Madrid’s most changing neighbourhoods, a new ice cream parlour designed by the Solar studio has emerged. Its interior attracts attention with an intense blue colour and a circular yellow lamp, and the project itself is an attempt to restore the local identity of this highly centralised part of the city. The creators here refer to traditional crafts and economic means of expression, offering a space that contrasts with the global patterns prevalent in contemporary retail.
Chueca has undergone very dynamic changes in recent decades. Once associated with social tensions, it has become an inclusive and cosmopolitan neighbourhood. Today, it is struggling with the consequences of the expansion of the short-term rental market and the rise of tourism, which has led to the disappearance of local shops and the displacement of less affluent residents. The new premises were created as a reaction to these processes. Rather than building a new building from scratch, the designers decided to make use of the existing site, exposing its historical layers and keeping intervention in the décor to a minimum.
The design assumptions were clear: low budget, no clear branding and a short implementation time. The RAL 5015 colour became the main tool used to unify the space, blurring spatial boundaries and giving the interior a coherent identity. The use of colour served not only aesthetic but also environmental purposes. The project avoided demolition, reducing waste generation, and most of the furnishings were sourced from the secondary market.
At the focal point of the interior is a large circular lamp covered with a flexible material. Its changing shade of yellow introduces an element of dynamism to the premises, creating a different atmosphere depending on the time of day. The functional layout of the space is based on two parallel zones: one for customers and one for employees, separated by a multifunctional module serving as a bar and counter. The entire space is covered with sprayed polyurethane foam, which further organises the interior and reinforces the impression of a unified form.
The ice cream parlour by Solar is an attempt to respond to the challenges of contemporary design in a social and environmental context. The project is part of the current of conscious minimalism, where saving resources is not just an aesthetic choice, but a form of opposition to overproduction. The space of the ice cream parlour, although small, becomes a manifesto of architecture responding to the real needs of urban communities.
Architects: Solar (Ana Herreros, Pablo Canga) Marta Jarabo
Location: Calle de Hortaleza 55, Madrid
Photography: Imagen Subliminal
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