Central American designers never seem overly concerned about crossing traditional boundaries. This autonomy frees up their imagination, and it shows—often magically—across many design disciplines.
Saul Zona 14, one of 20 outlets in the ever-growing Guatemalan and Costa Rican
Saul chain of bistros and cafés, is no exception. It is yet another showcase of a most amazing skill habitual in these parts—the playful, seemingly random use of materials for ordinary applications.
Transient permanence
Lead designer Taller KEN (Ines Guzman and Gregory Melitonov), founded in 2013, certainly know how to make a first impression. The white, circus-tent-like facade of Saul Zona 14 instantly seizes your attention. This outer skin creates an illusion of a temporary structure, one that might soon be dismantled, packed up, transported to a new town, and then reassembled for the next performance.
A more thorough inspection, however, reveals suggestions of structural permanence. The exterior surface is not, in fact, made of stretched canvas. Instead, molded fiberglass panels finished in plaster stucco give the illusion of elasticity. A blood-red door frame protrudes from the front of the building. So do the red armrests of a concealed wooden bench nearby. Inspired by Guatemala’s Spanish colonial heritage, ornamental windows with intriguing displays also poke out of the outer walls.
A “house” with many charms
The interiors don't disappoint, either. As the designer aptly puts it: “Here, a union of culture and commerce full of surprises and small treasures entices clients and visitors to take the time to enjoy diverse experiences. It is a place to meet, to stop for a drink at the café, to shop at the store or to visit the terrace to have a long meal or just sit to read."
As befits the leafy habitat that surrounds it, the outdoor terrace is a departure from the clean interiors to a more earthy roughness. 
Our favourite feature is the yellow-and-green canopy, which is made of a thousand pounds of thread from traditional production techniques still used by the indigenous people of Guatemala. Swaying gently in the breeze, the hanging threads contribute soft texture to the space, as well as provides solar shade and sound absorption.
With the multi-faceted success of this project, the designers have set a very high benchmark, and it will be exciting to see how they will top themselves. 
Architect: Taller KEN
Photographer: Andres Astrurias
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