KONARE is a food court that is part of the mixed-use development called Catheua, located in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. This complex is located in an area that over the years has been losing its commercial value due to the proliferation of informal commerce and the settlement of industrial warehouses belonging to different companies in the city.  

The project was the spearhead to reactivate the area and provides the necessary added value for other companies to develop similar projects in Colonia Eugenia. The development is adjacent to an important industrial zone in the city that houses the most important companies in the region, the university city of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and the baseball and soccer stadiums belonging to the Tigres team. 

The architectural concept of the entire development was to create an oasis in the middle of the industrial and arid zone.  The same concept was transferred to this food court, located in the central part of the mixed-use development, based on the idea of a tree, an oasis within the hectic neighborhood. The stereotomic weave of Chilean pine wood, starting from the center or trunk of this tree, is distributed throughout the space like branches, welcoming the users and forgetting that they are inside a corporate building.

Similarly, the lighting design complements and softens the design of the tree, both on the ceilings, with circles that also support natural vegetation, as well as those that are born from planters and fall with a half circle on the tables, generating a 100% biophilic space.

*Biophilia: is the relationship that we humans have with the living, with nature, an important part of our life in all aspects, where one of the objectives of this is visual relaxation, helps with concentration and to be more creative, to create a friendly environment that promotes harmonious relationships between humans and nature.  

In terms of textures, more specifically, laminates and Chilean pine wood were used for wall and column cladding, and porcelain wood flooring; all the shades of the finishes correspond to the colors of nature. All the materials used in the design are low-maintenance and resistant to high traffic, as is the furniture, which, with its simple, square shapes, does not saturate the visual space and highlights the natural vegetation.

The food court has eight double-height commercial premises of between 35 and 48 square meters, destined for fast and semi fast-food businesses, which have the possibility of offering a variety of options to a public made up of industry managers, professional workers, shopkeepers, residents, tenants, teachers, students, and sports fans, making KONARE the first choice for healthy entertainment and food in the area.

KONARE makes this area a unique and cozy place, a break from the industrial life of the area and the diner does not feel that he is in a traditional food court but in a place that invites him to consume, a place that pays tribute to nature, tranquility, and enjoyment.