Set within a public park in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, Bkd Bakery by UMKY design is conceived as an extension of the surrounding urban landscape. The 305 m² building opens towards the park through large sliding elements, allowing the boundary between the interior, shaded terraces and public space to shift throughout the day.

The design responds simultaneously to the demanding regional climate and the operational requirements of a working bakery. Deep pergolas protect three sides of the building, while the interior combines public circulation, seating and production within a continuous spatial sequence.

 

 

Extending the park into the interior

The design began with an analysis of pedestrian movement through the park. The main entrance aligns with its central axis, establishing a direct continuation of the principal public route into the bakery.

Rather than enclosing the commercial space behind a fixed façade, large sliding mechanisms allow it to open towards the surrounding landscape. The transition from park to terrace and interior becomes gradual, allowing the bakery to participate in the everyday activity of the public space.

Deep pergolas extend along three sides of the building. They shade the outdoor seating areas and limit direct solar exposure, creating a protected perimeter around the bakery and reducing heat gain within the interior.

This shaded edge is central to the project. It allows indoor and outdoor hospitality spaces to operate as parts of the same environment while responding to Ajman’s intense climate.

A layout shaped by movement

The organization of the interior follows the pedestrian flows approaching the building. Public functions remain clear and immediately accessible, while staff circulation, storage and other back-of-house operations are positioned away from the principal guest areas.

At the center of the plan, a large service counter becomes the main visual and spatial point of reference. It is built from custom-cast concrete bricks with mint-green pigment added during production, establishing a material relationship with the vegetation of the surrounding park.

The masonry gives the counter a tactile presence and anchors the open interior. Its weight contrasts with the transparency of the perimeter and the ability of the façades to open almost completely towards the exterior.

 

 

A domestic scale beneath the pitched ceiling

Above the public areas, the ceiling follows the profile of a pitched roof. The familiar geometry reduces the perceived height of the interior and introduces a more intimate scale within the large commercial space.

The form also performs a technical role, concealing the extensive climate-control equipment required by the bakery. Rather than allowing these systems to dominate the interior, the ceiling integrates them within an architectural element associated with shelter and domesticity.

This combination of technical performance and familiar form supports the broader character of the project: an open public venue that nevertheless maintains a sense of warmth and enclosure.

Baking as part of the public experience

At the core of the bakery, the production area is enclosed by glass and remains visible from the guest spaces. Visitors can observe the preparation and baking process, making production part of the everyday experience of the interior.

Integrating a working bakery into a busy public space required careful coordination of ventilation. The production zone remains visually connected to the seating areas while operating with the air-control systems necessary to maintain comfortable conditions throughout the building.

Transparency therefore operates at several scales. The bakery opens towards the park, the public areas remain visually connected across the interior, and the process of production is placed on display.

Inspired by ideas of movement and lightness associated with the Gemini constellation, the project avoids the character of a sealed commercial object. Through its sliding boundaries, shaded perimeter and visible production spaces, Bkd Bakery becomes a place of exchange between the park, the interior and the everyday activity of baking.

Located in Patras, Dyo Exi Deka by KARN Studio transforms a 173 m² interior into an open and permeable space that mediates between the street and the activities within. Led by Nancy Karagianni, the design reinterprets the familiar typology of the neighbourhood store through transparency, spatial continuity and an emphasis on collective use.

Large openings, pivoting doors and low thresholds weaken the conventional boundary between inside and outside. Rather than functioning as an enclosed commercial interior, the space extends its activity towards the pavement, maintaining a continuous visual and physical relationship with the city.

 

 

An open interior without partitions

The interior is organized as a single flexible space. Instead of dividing the plan through walls, the existing structural columns articulate different areas while maintaining overall continuity.

A clear visual axis connects the entrance with the service counter, allowing the programme to unfold gradually and remain immediately legible. The generous ceiling height reinforces the sense of openness, while suspended linear lighting fixtures introduce rhythm and scale within the large volume.

The lighting system also contributes to the industrial character of the interior. Metal frames, visible installations and off-the-shelf elements are deliberately left exposed, establishing a direct relationship between construction, use and atmosphere.

Material zones within a continuous space

The material palette is deliberately restrained. Exposed brick gives the service counter a warmer and more tactile presence, contrasting with the continuous floor and the neutral surfaces of the surrounding envelope.

Near the façade, a zone of green-and-white tiles marks places for pausing and interaction. Rather than functioning as a physical boundary, the change in material subtly guides movement and distinguishes use within the otherwise continuous plan.

Different spatial conditions therefore emerge without compromising the openness of the interior. Materials, furniture and lighting become the principal tools of organization.

 

 

An interior connected to the city

Natural light enters through glazing along two sides of the space, maintaining visual contact with the surrounding streets. Planting softens the robust material character and introduces a more familiar, almost domestic scale.

The furniture arrangement remains adaptable, allowing the interior to respond both to everyday patterns of use and to larger collective gatherings. This flexibility reinforces the project’s understanding of the neighbourhood venue as a shared urban room rather than a fixed composition.

Dyo Exi Deka balances the directness of an industrial interior with moments of warmth and informality. Through its open edges and adaptable organization, the project positions everyday commercial activity within the broader life of the street.