Dalmata

Tucked into the ground floor of a historic limestone building on Rue Bernard, Dalmata is a gelato shop with a clear sense of joy and no shortage of personality. The project, a collaboration between MRDK and artist Dan Climan, occupies a narrow, elongated footprint that became a creative opportunity rather than a limitation.

The design draws on the visual language of the classic Italian gelateria, reinterpreted through a bold, graphic lens with a nod to the meticulous, storybook world of Wes Anderson. Two primary colours anchor the interior: a saturated burnt orange wrapping the upper walls from street to back, and a desaturated pink below, applied to classical panel-moulded wainscoting. The pairing is warm and confident, retro without being nostalgic, refined without taking itself too seriously.

A brown-and-white striped awning on the exterior establishes the shop’s character before you’ve even crossed the threshold. That same striped fabric reappears inside as a secondary awning suspended from the ceiling, running the full length of the counter and dissolving the boundary between street and interior in the most literal, and most charming, way possible. Underfoot, black-and-white mosaic tile adds another layer of old-world reference.

The veined marble service counter, branded in carved lettering, anchors the space. Amber globe pendants cast a warm cinematic glow. On the orange wall, a framed painting of horses by Dan Climan gives the room its soul. Nearby, a small photograph of Oasis mid-scream offers both a wink and a thesis statement: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Outside, folding benches and a blue letter-board menu complete the tableau. Unpretentious, precise, and genuinely fun. Dalmata is a small space that knows exactly what it wants to be.

Design: Ménard Dworkind Architecture & Design
Design Team: David Dworkind, Benjamin Lavoie Laroche
Contractor: MagDev construction
Photography: David Dworkind