A Modern Patisserie in Montreal

Atelier Moderno and Anne Sophie Goneau collaborate on an elegant backdrop for the A La Folie's delectable creations.
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Atelier Moderno, an architecture and design firm, and Anne Sophie Goneau, an interior designer, recently collaborated on a new retail space for A La Folie, a pastry shop, on Montreal’s busy Avenue du Mont-Royal.

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The A La Folie pastry shop in Montreal is a collaboration between Atelier Moderno, an architecture and design firm, and Anne Sophie Goneau, an interior designer.

The designers conceived the 650-square-foot space a largely monochromatic, black and gray backdrop to both the vibrancy of the streetscape outside and the colorful and whimsically shaped pastries on display. All of the pastries are made on-site in a production space at the rear of the shop. It is separated from the retail area by a mid-height wall that encourages the sounds and smells from the kitchen to permeate the boutique.

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An AIM pendant lamp by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for FLOS hangs above the cash counter.

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A band of hemlock slats runs the length of the shop along the ceiling, hinting at the assemly-line production process and nodding to the archetype of the wooden pallet or conveyor belt.

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All of the pastries are produced in-house.

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The refrigerated, black steel display cases were custom designed and fabricated. The compressors for each unit are located in the basement, allowing the cases to stand on delicate legs and preserving the minimalist look of the space.

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Thin, delicate LED lighting is suspended from the ceiling, giving the display cases sharp, focused illumination.

William Lamb
Will Lamb is a writer and editor based in Jersey City, New Jersey. He served as a senior editor at Dwell from 2013 to 2015.

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