Studio Cadena Transforms Medellín Building into Cafe, Retail, and Dance Studio

In Medellín, Colombia's El Poblado neighborhood, a former private building has been adapted by Studio Cadena into a mixed-use space housing a dance studio, coffee shop, and retail store. The architecture practice, based in Brooklyn and operating between New York and Bogotá, is led by Benjamin Cadena. The project, titled 'Store With A Gap,' involved subtracting from the existing structure rather than adding to it. A large swooping section was carved out of the front and replaced with a perforated metal screen arranged in staggered columns, offering glimpses of the interior retail space. This subtraction opens the building to the public, creating a pocket of public space. The design stitches together the diverse programs, transforming what was once private into a civic-oriented structure. The project was featured on Archpaper.com and reported by aninteriormag.com.