DELI CORNER

DESIGN CONCEPT

Deli Corner is conceived as a flexible, self-service food and beverage platform tailored to high-traffic transport hubs across Spain. The design responds to the rapid tempo of contemporary travel, offering an intuitive, automated service point that maintains the spatial quality and comfort of a traditional café. Architecturally, the concept operates as a lightweight architectural “plug-in” that can be inserted into existing concourses with minimal disruption, combining vending technology with a recognizable, cohesive brand environment.

The project is structured around two typologies: an open pavilion with an integrated seating area and a compact, fully enclosed vending module. Both share a consistent visual identity based on clarity, legibility and speed of use, ensuring that travelers can locate, understand and operate the service at a glance, regardless of the specific airport or station.

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION AND USER FLOW

The open pavilion version defines a porous rectangular bay under a timber and metal canopy. The perimeter is lined with vending fronts, while the interior is furnished with high tables and stools that encourage short-stay consumption. Circulation is deliberately radial: users approach from the concourse, select products along the linear façade of machines, then move inward to the central standing area. This separation of procurement and consumption reduces congestion, even during peak hours.

The compact unit is conceived as a freestanding kiosk with all façades active. Machines are arranged in a continuous linear band, allowing simultaneous use by multiple customers. Corners are rounded visually through large-scale graphics, softening the volume and guiding movement around the perimeter. Both formats are designed to be barrier-free, with generous clearances and level thresholds, ensuring accessibility for users with reduced mobility and luggage.

MATERIALITY AND COLOR STRATEGY

The material palette balances robustness with a warm, approachable character. Structural frames and machine surrounds are expressed in dark metallic finishes, providing durability and a clear technical language for the equipment. In contrast, horizontal surfaces and soffits are clad in wood-effect panels, introducing a domestic warmth that differentiates Deli Corner from the typically hard, infrastructural environment of airport concourses.

The chromatic strategy is driven by the brand identity: vivid red signage bands punctuated by white typography secure high visibility from long distances, while neutral grays and timber tones form a calm background for the colorful product displays. Lighting is integrated into linear coves above the vending fronts, creating uniform vertical illumination that enhances product legibility and emphasizes the continuity of the service line.

FURNITURE, ERGONOMICS AND DETAILING

Furniture is optimized for short, transient use. High communal tables sit on central steel columns with circular footrests, allowing passengers to stand, lean or use stools depending on dwell time. The height ensures comfortable use while standing with luggage and facilitates quick turnover. Edge detailing is rounded to reduce impact and wear, and finishes are selected for resistance to staining and easy cleaning.

All touchpoints—from payment terminals to trash receptacles—are consolidated into robust, clearly signposted elements. The close integration between vending equipment and architectural cladding ensures a seamless appearance, minimizing visual clutter and simplifying maintenance operations. Interfaces are positioned at ergonomic heights to accommodate a wide range of users.

BRANDING, GRAPHICS AND LIGHTING

Branding is treated as an architectural layer rather than a mere application. Continuous fascia bands crown both the pavilion and kiosk typologies, acting as illuminated beacons within the terminal. Large photographic graphics humanize the offer, communicating freshness, convenience and digital payment options. Wayfinding icons for credit cards, Wi-Fi or 24/7 service are integrated into the fascia, making operational information immediately readable.

Artificial lighting reinforces the perception of safety and cleanliness. Warm-white LED fixtures wash the timber soffits and highlight customer areas, while cooler, more neutral tones illuminate the product faces within the machines to render colors accurately. This dual temperature strategy subtly differentiates the consumer zone from the technical display area, while maintaining overall visual coherence.

MODULARITY, INSTALLATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Deli Corner is designed as a modular system capable of being replicated across 38 locations with minimal adaptation. Structural frames, cladding panels and signage elements are standardized, enabling off-site prefabrication and rapid on-site assembly. This approach reduces construction time, limits interference with airport operations and improves quality control.

Sustainability is addressed through both construction and operation. The use of lightweight metal structures and high-pressure laminates optimizes material efficiency and facilitates disassembly or relocation, extending the lifecycle of each unit. LED lighting, motion and presence sensors, and high-efficiency vending equipment contribute to reduced energy consumption. Finishes are selected for longevity and low maintenance, minimizing the need for replacement and associated waste. Where possible, wood-effect surfaces are achieved with laminates or veneers from certified sources, providing the warmth of timber while respecting responsible resource management.