STARR Catering Group and Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) are set to reveal the latest addition to the museum’s dining program, a mobile outdoor waterside cocoon shaped sculpture that serves as a grab-and-go café, Cucuyo. Named after summer childhood memories of catching glowing click beetles in the backyard, the cocoon shaped café was designed by South Florida’s celebrated Berenblum Busch Architects (BBA) and manufactured by Amsterdam-based MX3D, using innovative 3D printing technology.
Set to open on September 28, 2017, the stainless-steel café is influenced by the context and architecture of PAMM and is the first of its kind. “Industry experts Berenblum Busch Architects along with MX3D’s technology helped us combine art and dining in an innovative way,” says Adelee Cabrera, Regional Director of STARR Catering Group. “Together, we created a functional and dynamic architectural piece that allows us to serve the community in a more diverse way.”
Using MX3D’s industrial robot equipped with an advanced welding machine and controlled by newly developed software, the open shell exterior was constructed using intricate, thin crossbeams that encase the interior of the café and provide an aura of protection all while allowing breezes from Biscayne Bay to pass through the openings. The 700-pound stainless steel structure is the first of its kind and now proves that form and design liberties found in 3D printing of small objects can be applied on an architectural scale. Bringing this innovative technology to the forefront of conversation, Verde and PAMM are serving as early adopters and are playing a key role in bringing large-scale 3D printing to market.
“It was a challenge to design a piece that was not only lightweight and easily disassembled for relocation, but also fully functional,” notes Claudia Busch, Founding Principal of Berenblum Busch Architects. “That is why we decided to work with MX3D on manufacturing this project. Their unique technology allowed the construction of this site- specific piece that meets all structural requirements while seamlessly fitting into the PAMM environment.”
“The cutting-edge and sculptural design of Cucuyo complements PAMM’s Herzog & de Meuron designed building with its shaded verandas and plazas built for public engagement and interactions with works of art. It will create another meeting point for conversation for our visitors,” says Franklin Sirmans, Director of PAMM. “South Florida’s Berenblum Busch Architects (BBA) and Amsterdam-based MX3D have created an outdoor cafe which enhances a waterfront space created by local and international landscape designers and horticulturists to ‘bring the park into the museum’ in new and innovative ways.”
Serving coffee, sandwiches and bites by Chef Kaytlin Dangaran of Verde, Cucuyo is designed to be both highly functional and mobile while standing out as an artistic talking
point for visitors. Cucuyo is divided into three major components: the front counter, back counter and the door. The final assembled piece will stand at 20 feet long, 9 feet high and 12 feet wide with an advanced counter design, electrical configuration, and plumbing inside of the structure. Designed with mobility and disassembly in mind, the mobile café will be stored for events at PAMM and during extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes. Cucuyo is located on the terrace of PAMM overlooking Biscayne Bay and is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m except for Wednesday.
The mobile café will open to the public on September 28, 2017. For more information, please visit www.pamm.org/cucuyo.
