MO de movimiento

Developed between 2018 and 2020, MO de Movimiento is the studio’s largest and most ambitious project to date. Commissioned by Proyectos Conscientes and curated by the Machado-Muñoz Gallery, the transformation of the former Espronceda Theater in Madrid into a 1,000m² restaurant served as a radical laboratory for circular economy, proximity architecture, and social inclusion.

The design team, led by Lucas Muñoz Muñoz, re-defined the traditional construction process by treating the existing site as a primary resource. This "new form of destruction" allowed for the recovery and repurposing of 1,700 tons of construction debris. For example, the rubble from the demolition was processed and transformed into the very tiles and furniture that populate the space, while the original wooden roof structures were salvaged to create the restaurant’s seating and tables.

Technological innovation was central to the project’s environmental strategy. The studio developed low-energy adiabatic cooling systems—large terracotta and water vases suspended from the ceiling—that naturally regulate the building’s temperature. The lighting system, designed with modularity in mind, utilizes a ceiling grid of construction steel rods that allows for total flexibility and future re-arrangement without new interventions. This commitment to sustainability also extended to the social sphere, collaborating with organizations like Norte Joven to integrate people at risk of social exclusion into the construction and craft teams.

Recognized with the Dezeen Award for Most Sustainable Interior and the Frame Award for Best Use of Material, MO de Movimiento stands as a global benchmark for conscious design. It is not just a restaurant, but a living body of research that proves architectural excellence can be achieved through responsible consumption, local craftsmanship, and a profound respect for material life cycles.