Möbino: a Möbius-strip espresso cup that keeps crema alive, and redirects profit to social inclusion

Based in Luxembourg City, Metaform Architects has turned a familiar ritual into a small act of design theatre. Möbino is an espresso cup conceived to protect crema, the aromatic foam that crowns a well-pulled shot, and to extend the sensory life of the drink through an unusual internal geometry.

Shaped like a Möbius strip, the cup is defined by a single continuous ceramic surface that twists into an “infinite” loop. That gesture is not decorative. By guiding coffee along an uninterrupted curve, Möbino generates a controlled swirl as the liquid drops into the base, encouraging a spiral motion intended to preserve crema and hold aroma for longer.

The design’s premise is simple: make the journey of the espresso part of its taste. As coffee slides along the twisted ceramic edge, the unbroken flow supports the cup’s core claim, keeping crema more intact while intensifying fragrance and flavour over time. The result is a vessel that performs as you drink, transforming a 20ml pour into a visual and olfactory experience.

Metaform links Möbino’s dynamic form to its Luxembourg Pavilion concept for Expo Dubai 2020, translating architectural movement into a handheld object. In miniature, the same ambition remains: use geometry to shape perception.

Beyond the sculptural logic, Möbino is designed around comfort and temperature. A double-walled structure insulates the outside so hands stay cool while the coffee stays hot. The profile is subtly sculpted to fit the thumb and palm, and the capacity is calibrated to 20ml, positioned here as an optimum measure for a concentrated espresso.

Möbino’s story is also a story of authorship and labour. Created in collaboration with Ateliers Kräizbierg in Dudelange, each cup is hand-sculpted and glazed in the workshop, giving every piece slight variations that underline its makerly quality. The cooperative is dedicated to the professional and social inclusion of people with special needs, and the cup frames that mission as part of its design intent, not a footnote.

Crucially, all proceeds are directed to the Kräizbierg Foundation, supporting its mission to expand skills, training, and opportunities for people with special needs to thrive in society. As Metaform frames it, the object is meant to spotlight Kräizbierg’s work and the idea of social belonging: a product where design becomes a conduit for visibility and long-term support, rather than a standalone collectible.

Produc Credit

Name: Möbino espresso cup
Location: Dudelange, Luxembourg
Completed: 2022
Designer: Metaform Architects / @metaform_architects
Local partner: Ateliers Kräizbierg (Dudelange)

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Founded in 2003, Metaform Architects is led by Shahram Agaajani, Thierry Cruchten, and G.G. Kirchner. The studio operates across Luxembourg and Dubai, with a multidisciplinary team of more than 50 collaborators working nationally and internationally.

Kräizbierg works to improve the moral, social, and material situation of people with disabilities through prevention, rehabilitation, medical care, education, professional training, and social inclusion, while representing their interests across these fields.