Foguel Studio has transformed an ordinary ice cream shop in Tandil, Argentina into an extraordinary sculptural wonderland that blurs the lines between commercial space and artistic installation. The Figlio ice cream shop now serves as a temple of fantasy where traditional architectural elements are reimagined through the lens of dessert aesthetics, with marble moldings resembling cream, wooden cone-shaped tables, and childhood wonder translated into three-dimensional architecture.
The project represents a bold departure from conventional retail design, functioning as both a commercial space and an artistic statement that embraces drama, romanticism, irreverence, exaggeration, and irony. While the space maintains its architectural functionality, its spirit is fundamentally sculptural, reflecting the unique background of its creator. Foguel, an industrial designer and artist with training in scenography and costume design, brings a distinctly theatrical sensibility to the interior, where materials and symbolic elements play equally crucial roles in creating the overall experience.
The interior features an elaborate combination of design elements that directly reference ice cream and confectionery themes. Marble cream moldings and capitals create classical architectural details with a sweet twist, while solid-wood tables shaped like ice cream cones serve as functional furniture pieces. The space also incorporates resin cocoa flowers, cement sculptures designed to look like bonbons, and specially crafted vases displaying 3D printed reliefs that reinterpret each individual ice cream flavor offered by the shop.
At the centerpiece of the design stands a remarkable seven-meter hybrid sculpture that serves as both artistic statement and architectural focal point. This monumental effigy offers a contemporary and ironic reinterpretation of classical Greco-Roman masterpieces, creating a dialogue between ancient art forms and modern commercial spaces. The ornamental excess throughout the shop is rich in cultural references, drawing inspiration from Michelangelo's sculptures, the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, and Paolo Sorrentino's acclaimed film "The Great Beauty."
The design philosophy embraces postmodern aesthetics and its unapologetic motto that "Less is boring," resulting in a space that is simultaneously commercial and monumental. This dreamlike temple successfully combines seemingly disparate elements including state-of-the-art digital screens, raw stone claddings, marble sculptures, and even textural elements inspired by tiramisu and other desserts. The juxtaposition creates an environment that challenges traditional notions of retail space design.
Foguel, who founded the Buenos Aires-based studio, has recently gained recognition for her innovative ephemeral works created in ice, making this permanent installation particularly significant in her artistic evolution. With the Figlio project, she has essentially transformed into stone what typically melts away, creating a lasting monument to the temporary pleasure of enjoying ice cream. The project ultimately celebrates architecture as a form of fiction, demonstrating how playful, instinctive, and intellectual design operations can successfully transform pure fantasy into tangible, functional form.
