CARNE is a creative branding and interior design studio founded in Madrid in 2025 by Esther Mengual, following an established career leading WANNA. Operating at the intersection of strategy, brand identity, and spatial design, the studio specializes in retail, hospitality, food & beverage, and workplace projects. Its approach integrates creative direction, branding, and interior design to build concepts with a strong identity, capable of seamlessly translating across all touchpoints of a brand. Its work has been recognized by prestigious national and international awards, such as the Hospitality Design Awards, Platinum A’ Design Award, LAUS, BeautyMatter NEXT Award, FRAME Awards, and accolades from the Spanish Retail Association.

LOLO Taco Bar was founded by Manuel Álvarez with the clear intention of redefining the approach to Mexican culture from Madrid. Moving away from literal interpretations or conventional folklore, the proposal advocates for the essence of a contemporary, urban, youthful, and hybrid Mexico: a vibrant ecosystem where street references, gastronomy, music, and nightlife energy converge. Under the conceptual premise of “Mexico in motion”, the brand seeks to articulate a space with a unique personality that reinterprets the traditional codes of taquerías.

Located at Paseo de la Castellana 23 in Madrid, LOLO covers an area of 112 m². One of the main challenges was transforming the pre-existing layout—formerly a restaurant with very few tables—to accommodate 44 guests, optimizing circulation while fluidly connecting the dining area, bar, and kitchen. The intervention is structured into two complementary atmospheres: a first zone with a distinctly urban and direct character, defined by the raw material palette of ceramics, microcement, and an integrated open kitchen; and a second, the so-called Blue Room, designed as an immersive experience. Klein blue is one of the fundamental elements of LOLO’s identity and is applied across different substrates and textures; ensuring that the color maintained the same intensity and character across all of them was crucial to the project. Materials are used directly, preserving their honest nature: blue ceramics by Cevica, white ceramics by Equipe, microcement, polycarbonate, epoxy, and stainless steel, with their combination constructing the space.

Brushed stainless steel was selected for its technical and industrial character and the contrast it creates with ceramics and, particularly, with the intensity of Klein blue. It emerges as a strategic decision within the project, featuring prominently in the central bar, as well as in various structural and furniture elements throughout the space. Beyond its unquestionable functional performance in the hospitality industry, in LOLO it also plays a visual role: bringing reflections, light, and a raw quality that aligns with the urban, contemporary Mexico the project aimed to build.

In the Blue Room, its interaction with the epoxy coating, ceramic tiles, and lighting allows the stainless steel to capture the subtle tonal nuances of its surroundings, transforming depending on the perspective.