Madrid Bar Features Permanent Sunset Artwork

In the heart of Madrid’s Chamberí, a unique bar has emerged, where the golden hour never ends. Myo, a hand roll bar designed by Plutarco, features a permanent sunset – a warm, backlit glow that crowns the bar and sets the tone for a space where the bar is the main event.

The studio’s brief was to make the bar the true star of the show, and it sits raised on an oak platform, finished in green-stained wood, with a stainless steel counter and integrated spotlights that frame each hand roll as it lands.

Above the bar, a continuous gradient achieved with backlit fabrics in warm ambers and ochres creates the illusion of a permanent sunset. The surrounding area is deliberately raw, with exposed piping and stainless steel, which sharpens the contrast and is then pulled together by a softening wash of dark green.

The steel counter catches the warm light and turns a seemingly cold material into an explosion of warm colours once the lights come on. This clever use of materials creates a unique atmosphere that changes throughout the day.

Myo trades as a Day & Night hand roll bar, where temaki is rolled and eaten by hand at the counter.

The interiors move with the day, bright and brisk at lunch, and moodier and more secretive after dark. A metal shelving unit doubles as a room divider, steering arrivals towards the entrance and bathroom while quietly shifting character under the light.

A wooden frame and translucent yellow glass screen the kitchen, hinting at the action behind without revealing it – a notion of “seeing without being seen” that adds to the bar’s mystique. The palette came straight from the menu, with dark green, orange-red, and blue carried through to the graphic identity designed by Irene Girona.

As the day progresses, the bar’s atmosphere changes, and the permanent sunset remains a constant presence. Plutarco’s skill is evident in their ability to create a space that is both familiar and innovative, with a deep understanding of the interplay between light, colour, and materials.

Plutarco, founded by Ana Arana and Enrique Ventosa, has a reputation for treating colour as a building material, and their appetite for food spaces stretches from a small creperie to this hand roll bar. The studio’s name comes from the Greek biographer Plutarch, known for his gift for storytelling.

With Myo, Plutarco has once again demonstrated their ability to create a unique and captivating space. The permanent sunset is just one aspect of the bar’s design, but it’s a powerful symbol of the studio’s commitment to creating spaces that are both beautiful and functional.

As customers sit at the bar, watching the hand rolls being prepared and enjoying the unique atmosphere, they are experiencing the result of Plutarco’s careful design and attention to detail. They have achieved a balance of different elements to create a cohesive whole, which is on full display at Myo, and it’s a key part of the bar’s success.

It is clear that Plutarco’s design philosophy is focused on creating spaces that are engaging and interactive.