Pollen Bakery started its life in a railway arch underneath Manchester’s Piccadilly station in 2016 and have since secured cult status on the independent dining scene both locally and nationally. NC Studio were appointed to design their second site, located within 'Kampus', an emerging neighbourhood development within the city centre. The challenge was to ensure that the independent status of Pollen Bakery was captured and honoured, creating moments of surprise and intrigue which evolved the brand naturally into this new setting and connected with the locale, whilst refraining from becoming contrived.

The existing concrete brutalist waffle ceiling, defines the brand driven interior concept, which championed notions of process, transparency and integrity. Ensuring this architectural feature was left exposed, services were relocated in both subtle and overt iterations, and the grid format began to inform the layout of the space below, creating decisive channels and flows.

Just like their signature 28 hour loaf, Pollen champion preparation and process without forfeiting quality or craft. Time to rest, time to rise. Just like the fermentation process there is a slow yet spontaneous pace within the space, allowing conversations to unfold and interactions to develop easily and naturally. This subtly informs the way food is consumed within the dining areas, with a shift in focus to detail, taste and texture, as opposed to speed, convenience and budget.

A deeply earthy and textural scheme is informed by the raw, unrefined ingredients within the baking process. Layers of soft, organic colour and tactility are permeated, or almost laminated, into the space. Crumbled grains of unmilled flour or the dark caramelised crust of a wholemeal rye inspire stained umber cork, mottled patina table tops and flecked terrazzo flooring. Bouncy upholstery references prooving loaves, and a floaty paper lantern hovers weightlessly in the air, almost like a puff of pastry.

Utilitarian finishes and the repetitive order of the commercial kitchen inspire another layer within the design; crisp silvery metals and grid like forms cut though the softness of the space like a cold knife. A glazed sliding door offers customers a view directly into this kitchen, and into the heart of business, raising the status of the artisanal process and connecting the patron with the patisserie.

Large scale glazing is unobstructed, allowing natural daylight to enter the space at multiple angles, connecting the customer with the outdoor world and allowing them to regulate their relationship to time. Members of staff have been considered in this regard too, with glazed partitioning to the working patisserie allowing the transfer of daylight and a view into a leafy and bustling urban courtyard. This consideration allows the greenery and daylight to positively impact the experience from within the kitchen, aiming to improve the mental health of professionals working at Pollen.