Client
Company Bakery
Architect
Studio IMA
Lead consultant
Johnston-Harris Architects
Contractor
Zebra Property Group
Structural engineer
McColl Associates
Quantity surveyor
Totex Consult
Company Bakery
Year
2024
Location
Musselburgh, East Lothian
Year
2024
Location
Musselburgh, East Lothian
Recognition
Shortlisted, Small Project Award, Edinburgh Architectural Association Awards 2025
Highly Commended, Conservation Award, Edinburgh Architectural Association Awards 2025
Interior design and fit-out of the inaugural café space for a popular Edinburgh wholesale bakery as part of their takeover of an historic industrial unit.
As part of a fit-out of a former net factory and printers unit in Eskmills, Musselburgh into Company Bakery's new bakery headquarters, Studio IMA developed an interior design scheme for an on-site café in the tight front portion of the space.
The counter & shelving are designed to maximise space for the display of breads, pastries and cakes, as well as accommodating the necessary appliances and surface spaces within a compact area.
Additional bar seating and display shelves line the south wall, which benefits from large windows that flood the space with light.
A full height timber screen with a rhythm of open, fluted and blank panels provides oblique views into the bakery from the cafe's tables, which were bespoke designed and fabricated.
The cafe design process was one of restraint and a celebration of imperfection. The floor finish is testament to this approach; the uneven texture and ink stained patina of the existing concrete floor on opening day has been evened out by passenger footfall over time, and it has taken on a natural sheen as a result.
The material palette was heavily influenced by the existing building elements such as the red oxide steel of the roof structure, the 'East Lothian Green' timber lined wall and the existing locally made brickwork, which was cleaned and exposed.
“With a room full of opinions and very little by way of a formal brief, Iain and the team at Studio IMA somehow managed to take the jumble of thoughts and feelings from four Directors and turn them into a clear, inspiring vision.
What started as rough ideas became something tangible, first sketched on paper, then brought beautifully to life. They not only listened but translated, refined and delivered.
The result? A space that’s both beautifully functional and functionally beautiful, and a perfect showcase for everything our business stands for. Even with a low budget and high hopes Studio IMA still managed to outperform our expectations delivering ROI significantly beyond what we expected.”
Duncan Findlater - Company Bakery
The Croft, Opinan
