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A glossy wood ceiling and a large circular light preside over this cafe that UK interior designer Deidra Hodgson has completed inside the Chrysler Building in New York. The art deco icon in Midtown Manhattan provides the setting for the second US location of UK coffee group WatchHouse, following a flagship at 660 Fifth Avenue […] More
Venice architecture studio AMAA has converted spaces within the 19th-century town hall of Arzignano, Italy, into a cafe that combines original details with bespoke contemporary elements. Caffè Nazionale is located within Arzignano’s Palazzo Municipale, originally designed by architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin in the late 19th century. AMAA has created a cafe and restaurant inside Arzignano’s […] More
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French studio Uchronia has completed the interiors for Cafe Shin in Paris, which features a central coffee counter topped with a washi-paper roof to emulate a traditional Korean house. More
Japanese studio Kooo Architects used custom-made bricks that combine compressed earth with waste tea leaves to create a natural feel inside the Théatre teashop in Beijing. More
Timber pillars and PVC pipes were left bare to blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior of cafe and sweet shop in Funamachi, Japan, designed by Schemata Architects.
Named Funamachi Base, the combined sweet store and cafe is located next to a park in the centre of Funamachi, a riverport town in central Japan.
The cafe is located close to a riverThis location inspired the design of its three buildings, which house a restaurant, sweetshop and a structurewith an office, kitchen and workshop.
“We envisioned the facility as an extension of the park, including the courtyard connected via flowerpots, so that the boundary between the inside and outside of the site would disappear and one would be gradually drawn inside,” the studio said.
Part of the foundation of the building forms a counterSchemata Architects’ founder Jo Nagasaka told Dezeen that the aim was also for people to wander into the space as they walk along the river.
“The main idea was to incorporate the greenway along the river into the facility,” he said. “The design is based on the expectation that people will find themselves entering into the shop as they walk along.”
Schemata Architects designed the cafe and sweet shop with large overhanging roofsLarge roofs extend out from the buildings of the 326-square-metre Funamachi Base, creating sheltered spaces where visitors can sit and enjoy the cafe’s bean buns.
“The distance between each building is taken and a roof is placed between them to create a semi-outdoor space, but to avoid clear boundaries between the inside and outside, the idea was to use the same materials inside and out,” Nagasaka said.
The same materials were used for the interior and exterior of Funamachi BaseMade from concrete and Douglas fir wood, Funamachi Base also features visible PVC pipes, a design choice that Schemata Architects made to underline the interaction between the interior and the exterior.
“The same materials were used inside and outside: calcium silicate board and putty coating, PVC pipes generally used for outdoor gutters were sandblasted and placed across the inside and outside of the building, and the eaves extended to create a space where the inside and outside are interchangeable,” the studio said.
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The foundation of the building was designed to bulge out, forming a counter from which to sell the sweets.
It was also used to create a bench for visitors to rest on and a well, as water is needed to create Japanese sweets.
A light-brown pattern decorates the facadesThe facades of the buildings have a light-brown pattern, adding to their industrial feel.
“White walls would make it look like a stylised Japanese building, so we dared to deviate from that,” Nagasaka explained. “We have chosen this so that the construction process is reduced and the finish is unusual.”
Schemata Architects recently designed the Komaeyu bathhouse in Tokyo, which was shortlisted for a Dezeen Award 2024 in the interiors category.
The photography is by Yurika Kono.
Project credits:
Architect: Jo Nagasaka / Schemata ArchitectsProject team: Yuko YamashitaConstruction: GikenCollaboration: Monochrome (solar panel integrated roof), Fukushima Galilei (kitchen)
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New York studio Office of Tangible Space has refreshed the interiors of the cafe at the Brooklyn Museum, ahead of the institution’s 200th anniversary next year.
The Brooklyn Museum Cafe is located in the building’s light-filled entry pavilion, which was added to the original beaux-arts building in 2004 by Polshek Partnership Architects (now Ennead Architects).
Furniture at the redesigned Brooklyn Museum Cafe is laid out like “islands and streams”Serving a menu by local restaurateur and sommelier André Hueston Mack, who runs the neighborhood restaurant & Sons, the redesigned cafe is intended for locals and museum-goers to enjoy light bites and drinks.
“Playing off the mission of the museum, [we] envisioned the cafe as a Brooklyn stoop where all are invited,” said Office of Tangible Space. “The space embodies the playfulness, creativity, craft, and expression that make Brooklyn and Brooklynites so unique.”
The cafe occupies a portion of the building’s light-filled entry pavilionThe locally based studio created a fluid layout that allows visitors to meander through the space.
Furniture is arranged in “islands and streams” that can accommodate diners in varied group sizes, as well as those stopping for a casual coffee.
Periwinkle-hued tables with angled sides form snaking shapes through the space”The space is anchored by large islands of seating and undulating streams of custom tables indicating the walking paths,” said Office of Tangible Space.
Aluminium chairs with seats and backs perforated with large holes accompany tables, including circular wooden designs for up to six guests and dark green two-tops.
Dark green two-top tables are accompanied by aluminium chairs perforated with large holesOther tables made from folded sheets of thin periwinkle-hued metal have angled sides, allowing them to form snaking shapes when lined up in a row.
Round cushioned poufs upholstered in pale blue and green are placed around the perimeter, which is demarcated by a set of freestanding wooden dividers and potted plants.
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“The incorporation of bold color and material add to playfulness and tactility of the space,” the studio said.
For the new space, the museum and Office of Tangible Space commissioned 10 local artists to design one-off stools that are peppered through the cafe.
Large round poufs are provided for more casual seatingThe handcrafted wooden seats, manufactured by Sundays, have been customised by Minjae Kim, Chen Chen and Kai Williams, Ellen Pong, Kim Mupangilaï and more.
“These handcrafted pieces not only complement the cafe’s design but also echo the philosophy that food, like art, is an immersive experience – engaging the senses, sparking conversation, and creating a connection between the creator and the audience,” said Office of Tangible Space.
The cafe was redesigned ahead of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversaryThe Brooklyn Museum’s building, designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1895, will host a variety of exhibitions and events planned to celebrate its bicentenary.
These include Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200, a showcase celebrating the institution’s collection and legacy that opens in February 2025.
Founded by Michael Yarinsky and Kelley Perumbeti, Office of Tangible Space was longlisted in the emerging interior designer of the year category of Dezeen Awards 2020.
The photography is by Matthew Gordon.
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Australian studio YSG has added carpet-lined seating, cork flooring and high-gloss green paint to the Superfreak cafe in Sydney.
Located in the city’s Marrickville suburb, the space was converted from an ice cream factory into a pilates studio, which is located at the rear and the Superfreak cafe on the street front.
YSG has completed interiors with 1970s motifs for the Superfreak cafe in SydneyDrawing on a relaxed 1970s-style aesthetic, YSG opted for a colour palette of pale sandy yellows, avocado greens and deep earthy brown tones.
Contributing to the retro feel are checked brown and green cafe curtains, as well as vintage furniture pieces including a low, tile-clad wooden table and timber dining chairs sourced from online marketplace 1stDibs.
A semi-enclosed lounge-like seating area is off to the left of the entranceTo the left of the entrance, a large U-shaped timber banquette made with maple joinery marks out the main seating area It was upholstered in soft brown carpet material often associated with 1970s interiors.
The deep wrap-around, bench-style seating has inbuilt storage and an integrated plinth containing a record player and vinyl storage cavity.
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“Our clients wanted a space where locals felt like they could hang out,” YSG director Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem told Dezeen. “Also, they wanted to welcome pilates students to stretch out comfortably post-class.”
“A key component was to build sunken lounge-like seating via banquettes that created a cosy enclosure,” she continued.
Banquette-style seating with maple timber joinery is upholstered in a plush brown carpet materialReplacing the previously all-white decoration, YSG used glossy green paint for the walls and ceiling surrounding the timber service counter. A statement lamp crafted by American artist Autumn Casey sits on top of the wooden counter.
“Possessing a child-like expression of a classic Tiffany lamp, we granted it pride of place by the entrance beside the coffee machine,” said Ghoneim.
Elsewhere, the cafe is illuminated by an array of rice paper lanterns and vintage sconces paired with an angular wall lamp by Olivia Bossy.
The ceiling and walls surrounding the service counter are painted in a high-gloss greenThe same brown carpet material used for the lounge seating was also added to the exterior of an open kitchen counter and the tops of its high stool seats.
Above the counter, the ceiling and suspended storage shelves were painted in a high-gloss green.
Brown carpet material also lines the top of the bar stoolsA mural of a leafy green garden scene by Creative Finish was painted across concealed storage and refrigeration space behind the bar, with a gold-toned corner mirror feature off to the side.
While the clients initially intended to continue the brown carpet for the floor, YSG opted for cork flooring instead due to the nature of the space as a hospitality setting.
“Prioritising tonal and textural interest, we laid spongey caramel-hued sealed cork underfoot, also aiding the acoustics,” said Ghoneim.
The facade of the building was also painted greenTaking cues from the interior concept, the building’s facade was painted green with a street-side coffee hatch cutout incorporated for takeaway orders.
Other projects by YSG recently featured on Dezeen include a seaside home renovation in Byron Bay and a suburban home in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a boutique hotel feel.
Photography is by Phillip Huynh.
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