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    Marimekko transforms “real Milanese institution” into flower-clad cafe

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    Jumbo poppies synonymous with Marimekko cover the floor of Bar Unikko, a pink-hued pop-up cafe created as a Milan design week pit stop to mark the print’s 60th anniversary.

    Named after Unikko, the recognisable poppy pattern designed by Maija Isola in 1964, the cafe is a pop-up project at Bar Stoppani in Milan.
    Bar Unikko is a collaboration between Marimekko and Apartamento magazineMarimekko purposefully left the interior layout of the cafe, which is a collaboration with interior design magazine Apartamento, largely untouched to create a contrast between the Finnish brand’s design language and traditional Italian eateries.
    “The idea was to really acknowledge where we are and find a real Milanese institution,” creative director Rebekka Bay told Dezeen at the cafe. “If that hadn’t been our intent, then we could have just taken on an empty space.”
    The cafe features poppy-clad awningBar Unikko is positioned on a corner site with a large pink and orange awning emblazoned with oversized poppies, which also feature on table umbrellas that create a striking landmark when approaching the cafe.

    “We’ve really taken the pattern out of its normal context and let it come to life in a whole new way,” added Bay, who described the contrast between Marimekko motifs and the existing bar interior as “refreshing”.
    “In the Nordics, we’re obsessed with cleanliness, systems and functionality,” she continued. “Whereas here, it’s dramatic and complex.”
    Oiva espresso cups were designed specifically for Bar UnikkoSpread across a single room, the interior kept its existing dark blue accents, burl wood panels, circular tables and a large bar positioned in front of mirrors.
    A neon poppy was placed above one of the tables, which were topped with gold Verner Panton Flowerpot lamps.
    The brand also added its signature pattern to the floor, characterised by poppies finished in two shades of pink, and a blue and yellow curtain at the back of the space.
    All of the crockery is Marimekko-brandedOther than these bold features, Bay explained that the Marimekko touches are found in the “little things”.
    Floral crockery, coasters, napkins and matches appear throughout Bar Unniko, which also includes Oiva – a collection of petite patterned espresso cups designed specifically for the takeover.
    “At first glance, you’re walking into a Milanese bar, and it doesn’t actually look like we’ve done much – but then the more you immerse yourself you start noticing these things,” said Bay.

    Printed textiles are “not just an accessory but something that can create a space” says Marimekko creative director

    Framed black and white photographs of the late Marimekko founder Armi Ratia were mounted to the walls as a nod to the brand’s history.
    Throughout the day, the changing light alters the pink glow that illuminates the interior while a shifting soundtrack signals the transition from morning to afternoon to evening.
    Bar Unikko is a day-to-night cafeBay explained that communal gathering is at the heart of Marimekko, which is why the brand chose to create a day-to-night cafe to celebrate 60 years of its well-known print.
    “Our founder famously said, I think at the beginning of Marimekko, that the brand could’ve been anything,” reflected the creative director. “Our mission is not only to bring joy to people’s lives but to bring people together.”
    Other highlights from this year’s edition of Milan design week include Faye Toogood’s Rude Arts Club exhibition, furniture made from reused skyscraper formwork and an inflatable gaming chair from IKEA.
    The photography is by Sean Davidson.
    Bar Unikko is open from 15 to 21 April 2024 at Bar Stoppani, Via Antonio Stoppani 15, 20129, Milan. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Chai Guys Portobello cafe interior evokes “the colour of spices”

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      Local studio SODA has used warm colours and natural materials to create the first store for tea brand Chai Guys on Portobello Road in London’s Notting Hill neighbourhood.

      The studio drew on the “informal nature” of drinking masala chai tea when designing the interior for the cafe – the first one for the Chai Guys brand, which has previously operated from market stalls.
      The Chai Guys cafe is located on Portobello Road in London”We wanted to keep true to the informal nature of drinking chai by creating a grounded space with low-level seating where there is always room for one more by pulling up a stool,” SODA interior designer Matilde Menezes told Dezeen.
      “The counter was kept quite low, too, to showcase the act of serving chai, which is quite theatrical.”
      The interior has plaster walls and boucle seatsThe Chai Guys Portobello cafe comprises a seating area and a front-of-house desk where the tea is prepared, as well as a bakery at the back that sells pastries.

      As many of the visitors will be getting takeaway drinks, Menezes says she wanted to provide “an impactful impression that was simple and subtle at the same time”.
      Timber panelling clads part of the wallsThe studio also aimed for the 55-square-metre space to be a peaceful refuge from hectic Portobello Road and to reference the Chai Guys branding.
      “The brand is a modern take on chai with its black dynamic typography layered over clean and minimal design,” Menezes explained.

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      “We wanted the colour palette to sit back and let the branding and product be the main event in moments such as the counter, the shopfront, and the retail shelving,” she added.
      “In areas where the branding wasn’t present, we wanted the palette to evoke the colours of the spices and standalone as a direct but understated reference to chai.”
      SODA used natural materials like leather and wood for the cafeThe studio chose to work mainly with natural materials for the interior, which features walls in Clayworks plaster.
      “Clayworks is non-toxic, has low embodied energy and carbon, is breathable, passively regulates humidity and is produced in the UK,” Menezes said.
      “On top of this, the handmade quality of each stroke and lived-in quality complemented the aesthetic we were trying to achieve.”
      A counter serves Chai tea and pastriesSODA also clad the walls in timber panelling and chose boucle and leather for the seating, adding to the store’s tactile feel.
      “Timber has its innate grain and richness, leather ages and provides sheen and the boucle appeals to the touch and is quite striking in the Masala tone,”  Menezes said.
      “All these tactile touchpoints were selected to be resilient in a high-traffic commercial space.”
      Other recent projects by SODA, which was founded by Laura Sanjuan and Russell Potter in 2012, include a colourful interior for The Office Group and a theatre with a revolving auditorium.

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      Plantea Estudio plays with light and shadow for Acid cafe interior

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      Spanish studio Plantea Estudio has completed a cafe and bakery inside an early 20th-century building in Madrid, contrasting the original dark tones of the interior with modern steel surfaces.

      Taking over a former gem store on a busy street in the Justicia district, the Acid cafe and bakeshop was designed to provide a place for quiet conversation away from the bustle of the city.
      The Acid Cafe and Bakeshop provides an intimate space away from the busy streetIt occupies the ground floor of a turn-of-the-century building, which is rich with historic details such as a deep storefront made from wood and green marble, with curved windows on either side of the entrance.
      Plantea Estudio sought to retain the original character of the space by restoring elements including the facade and the internal wood shelving and windows, as well as a decorative plaster frieze above the new serving area.
      Reflective steel contrasts with the space’s existing dark-toned interiorMinimal architectural interventions and a carefully chosen material palette help to define Acid’s interior ambience while supporting the new function of the space.

      “We completed and adapted what was there and added the rest to match this same character – or to contrast as an opposition that enhances it,” Plantea Estudio architectural designer Carla Morán told Dezeen.
      “Old and new, figurative and abstract, colour and shadow, rough and soft, matt and satin, all in the same space as different sides of the same coin.”
      The walls and ceilings are finished with warm-grey lime wash paintThe shop was previously divided into two parts, with the rear part housing storage and toilets. Plantea Estudio retained this configuration but looked to make better use of these neglected space at the back by creating a cosy lounge area for patrons.
      In the front part of the space, wooden shelves were sanded and varnished to return them to their original condition. Any anachronous additions were removed and replaced with shelves or doors painted in a deep red chosen to complement the wood tones.
      A mirror added to the ceiling above Acid’s entrance increases the sense of space in this area and multiplies reflections produced by the curved windows.

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      The building’s original terrazzo was uncovered from underneath layers of flooring, while the walls and ceiling were finished with a warm-grey lime wash paint that contributes to the cosy atmosphere.
      A coffee machine and pastry display sit on a stainless steel counter that provides a point of contrast with its precise and modern appearance, softened by a matte finish that produces blurred reflections.
      Original terrazzo flooring was uncovered by removing layers of flooringThe elongated lounge area at the rear of the unit is designed as a refuge from the busy neighbourhood, where guests can relax in semi-darkness with a coffee and pastry.
      “The interior space was quite dark, only connected to the exterior part by two openings in a structural wall,” Morán recalled. “So we thought about a room in shadow and quietness, with the reflection of the soft light over a stainless steel shared table.”
      A cosy lounge occupies the rear of the bakeryThe room’s new floor is made from plywood that produces a soft sound underfoot as guests transition from the terrazzo-floored shop to this calmer and quieter space.
      The wood is painted a deep blue colour to match the walls at either end of the room and contribute to the intimate half-lit atmosphere. A row of exposed light bulbs hangs above the table to provide gentle illumination along with shimmering reflections.
      Blue-painted plywood floors were chosen to muffle stepsThis is the third project that Plantea Studio has completed for the owners of Acid cafe in Madrid, following the Gota wine bar with its cave-like dining room.
      The studio was founded in 2008 by brothers Luis and Lorenzo Gil. Its other projects include a raw and minimal shop for footwear brand Veja and a multi-purpose entertainment space housed in a former erotic cinema.
      The photography is by Salva López.
      Project credits:
      Architecture and interior design: Plantea EstudioPromoter: Acid caféFurniture: Plantea Estudio and FramaLighting: Frama, Santa & Cole, Vitra, Ferm Living and AnglepoiseGraphic design: Koln studioArt: Armando MesíasPaint: Bauwerk colour

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      Studio NAAW uncovers Soviet-era details in Almaty restaurant interior

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      Local practice NAAW Studio has converted a former Soviet railway workers’ housing block into the Fika restaurant in Almaty, Kazakhstan, retaining original features of 1950s building.

      According to NAAW Studio, the restaurant re-examines the TurkSib Workers’ House’s social context by contrasting the original ornamentation with playful, contemporary details informed by Almaty’s surroundings.
      Studio NAAW uncovered Soviet-era details in a Kazakhstan restaurant interior”We wanted to ensure that the interior did not romanticise the legacy of the colonial era, but at the same time did not deny it,” NAAW co-founder Elvira Bakubayeva told Dezeen.
      “When we found the original ceiling mouldings and capitals in a dilapidated state underneath the suspended ceiling panels from the past owners, we made the decision to preserve and give them visibility without a thorough restoration.”
      A monolithic counter and timber shelves frame the cafe entranceFollowing the client’s brief for a cafe that also acts as an urban space, the studio opened up the interior to reduce friction with the streetscape.

      “The key feature of the place is its openness,” Bakubayeva explained. “We wanted to make it an extension of the city through a lack of unnecessary walls, an open bakery, spacious seating and large windows.”
      “To support this, the floor material enters from the outside, from the porch, and passes through all the rooms and flows seamlessly into the bar.”
      The studio followed the building’s original apertures for large feature windowsFinishes consist primarily of light grey terrazzo, white walls and bare structural concrete against accents of cedar wood and pops of colour.
      Following the geometry of the original openings, angular windows with nook seating run the length of the restaurant and were fitted with undivided panes of glass to further dissolve the interior-exterior boundary.
      The feature arched windows were carved with nook seating, cushions and matsThe studio placed a monolithic counter and timber display shelves in front the cafe entrance between the open bakery and primary dining space.
      Tables, stools and cabinets were produced by local craftsman using regionally-sourced karagach wood, while upholstered chairs informed by Kazakh yurts and imported fixtures from &Tradition and Hay complete the “spatial tapestry”.

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      Towards the back of the restaurant, a secondary seating zone was defined by a bold, yellow-painted dado wall.
      “Half-painting the walls is a technique that was used in all entrances and municipal establishments during the Soviet era,” Bakubayeva said.
      “This was used consciously; we wanted to reinterpret this ascetic technique and give it a cosy touch by adding elements such as striped textiles, artistic lamps and tables made of recycled plastic with ‘confetti’ patterns.”
      NAAW Studio used a yellow-painted dado wall to reference Soviet-era interior stylesThe bathroom corridor was lined with bright chequerboard tiles as a vibrant counterpoint to the rest of the restaurant.
      “The chequerboard pattern on the floor, walls and ceiling of the bathroom was originally invented as a visual effect to dissolve the planes of a disproportionately narrow and tall space,” Bakubayeva said.
      “The corridor to the toilets wanted to be like a brightly coloured ‘jacket lining’: not immediately visible, but pleasing to the eye of the user who went deep into the space.”
      The bathroom corridor was lined in vibrant chequerboard tilesTwo key art pieces were selected for the project, the first being a painted depiction of Almaty city by Nurbol Nurahmet and the second an abstract work by Assel Nussipkozhanova reinterpreting Kazakh patterns.
      “We wanted the art to reflect the idea of urban public space and tell the story of the building,” Bakubayeva explained.
      “The walls also feature photographs from the building’s construction and a recreated drawing of the original facade, which pay tribute to the building itself as an architectural object, a physical witness to history.”
      Fika restaurant in Kazakhstan by NAAW StudioNAAW Studio is a female-led Kazakhastani architectural practice based in Almaty, founded in 2019 by Elvira Bakubayeva and Aisulu Uali.
      Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a restaurant in Portugal with a bench made from ancient rock salt by Studio Gameiro and a collection of hospitality venues within a 1920s Detroit skyscraper by Method Co.
      The photography is by Damir Otegen

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      Cafe Kitsuné Los Angeles features Parisian-style interiors with “Japanese twist”

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      Paris-based lifestyle brand Kitsuné has opened a cafe next to its boutique in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, both with minimalist interiors featuring white oak and stainless steel.

      The interiors of the new Cafe Kitsuné and the renovated Maison Kitsuné store were designed by co-founder Masaya Kuroki to reflect the brand’s French-Japanese culture as well as the West Coast setting.
      The Cafe Kitsuné interior includes a mural by Jeffrey Sinich that imagines the space as an old-school marketFacing Sunset Boulevard on the east side of the city, this is the brand’s fourth cafe in North America – following locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Vancouver – and its first in LA.
      “A sprawling city of diverse findings, from cutting-edge restaurants to pockets of art and architecture second to none, LA has lent design inspiration and a backdrop to several campaigns for the fashion house,” said the Kitsuné team.
      White oak tables and surfaces are set against stainless steel counters and panelling for a minimalist look”Now, it’s the perfect setting for Café Kitsuné, a physical extension of the brand’s Franco-Japanese DNA, and reinvention of the classic Parisian cafe and wine bar experience with a Japanese twist,” they added.

      The building’s red-tile exterior and poured concrete flooring were preserved, and hand-painted signage by Californian artist Jeffrey Sincich was added over the large street-facing windows.
      Burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches highlight the colours of the muralInside the 700-square-foot (65-square-metre) cafe, white oak tables and brushed stainless-steel counters feature alongside burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches.
      Another Sincich mural covers the full length of a wall, offering “a whimsical take on Café Kitsuné’s standard appearance” and presenting the space as an “old-school market”.

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      A speaker system by Japanese audio company Rotel was installed in the cafe “to provide a top-notch sound experience for customers”, according to Kitsuné.
      Next door in the boutique, a similar material palette is used for elements including a built-in storage and display unit across the back wall.
      The existing Maison Kitsuné boutique next door has also received a refreshWhite oak forms the framing, shelves and doors that lead to the stock and fitting rooms, while ribbed stainless-steel sheets provide a backdrop for the items on show.
      More oak was used for the minimalist service counter and panelling behind, and a bright blue table sits in the centre to add a pop of colour.
      White oak and stainless steel are repeated in this space to create a visual connection with the cafeKitsuné was founded by 2002 by Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc and encompasses the fashion brand, Maison Kitsuné; a music label, Kitsuné Musique; and its line of cafes, bars and restaurants.
      Back in 2017, French designer Mathieu Lehanneur designed the Kitsuné store interior in New York’s Soho, adding snaking metal rails for displaying garments.
      The photography is by David Kitz.

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      Side Angle Side transforms mid-century Austin post office into restaurant

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      Texas architecture studio Side Angle Side has adapted a 1960s post office into a food market and restaurant in Austin.

      Opened in October 2023 in the Hyde Park area, Tiny Grocer serves as a speciality market, bar and cafe while Bureau de Poste is a modern French bistro led by celebrity chef Jo Chan.
      Side Angle Side has transformed a 1960s post office into a food market and restaurantAustin-based commercial and residential architecture firm Side Angle Side renovated the 3,500-square foot (325-square metre) 1967 US Post Office building and added a 1,500-square foot (140-square metre) outdoor dining patio.
      “The Hyde Park U.S. Post Office was an important neighborhood hub in the 1960s – so we were especially careful to keep the integrity and spirit of the mid-century-utilitarian design,” Arthur Furman, founding partner of Side Angle Side, told Dezeen.
      The team sought to preserve the building’s history as a community hub”As the anchor tenant in the space, Tiny Grocer continues to be the centre of the community, a place to gather, shop, eat and drink.”

      The shell of the white brick building was left intact, but the street-facing facade was previously used as a loading dock so the team transformed the back-of-house edge into a welcoming patio for the neighbourhood by removing the asphalt and adding two large live oak trees and a steel trellis and planters.
      The exterior of the building was kept intactA cast-in-place concrete banquette holds the edge of the patio that is paved with antique red brick.
      The steel planter forms a boundary between the parking area and the dining space, while the other edge is held by a light grey-coloured stucco restroom building. White metal furniture from Isimar and Portofino was used to furnish the patio.
      “The patio and wine garden is the real heart of the project,” the team said, mentioning that it wasn’t within the original scope of the project but added later when its larger value was realized. “This is where all the care and thought of the interior spills to the outside, creating a lively environment.”
      The renovated building has exposed concrete floors from the original buildingOn the interior, Side Angle Side complemented the original ceiling and open web joists with metal decking and industrial warehouse pendants by AQ Lighting. The polished concrete floors expose the weathered imperfections and show the history of the building.
      Upon entering, shoppers take in the colourful selection of curated products displayed on white oak mercantile shelving. Green millwork hugs one wall and the space widens to an open interior plan.
      A patio and wine garden is at the heart of the projectA central deli and coffee bar floats in the middle of the room and creates a transition from the market to the bistro. The bar is wrapped in Seneca terracotta tile and topped with grey and white quartz countertops. Wooden Soule barstools are tucked under the waterfall counter.
      The back-of-house spaces hold a kitchen office, storage, and bar equipment.

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      “Working closely with the owner, design finishes hint at the building’s midcentury past,” the team said, referencing the custom, built-in leather banquette by Undercover Austin Upholstery that lines the bistro’s back wall.
      Above the banquette and Second Chance Custom wooden dining tables hang black cone light pendants by All Modern.
      The patio features brick flooring and white metal furniture”The single biggest sustainable feature of this project is one that is often overlooked,” the team said, noting the adaptation of the structure. “The ‘loose fit, long life’ style of these old buildings leads to more reuse and far less waste.”
      Recent adaptive reuse projects in Austin include a 1900s house converted to a luxury office by Michael Hsu and commercial units converted to an architecture studio by Baldridge Architects.
      The photography is by Likeness Studio and Mackenzie Smith Kelly.
      Project credits:
      Structural engineer: Creative EngineeringMEP engineer: ATS EngineersBuilder: Archive PropertiesCommercial interior design: Side Angle SideArchitects: Side Angle SideBuilding shell: Thought Barn StudioLandscape design: Side Angle Side & Wild Heart DirtOwner: Steph Steele

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      Commoncraft draws on “beauty in imperfection” for New York cafe

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      Distressed concrete, rowlock bricks and worn plasterwork create an intentionally unfinished appearance at this cafe in New York City’s East Village neighbourhood, designed by Brooklyn studio Commoncraft.

      For its expansion into Manhattan, New Jersey-based Kuppi Coffee Company secured a 350-square-foot space on bustling St Marks Place – its second location.
      Textured concrete plaster envelops the interior of Kuppi Cafe in the East VillageThe compact interior has just enough space for a customer area and the cafe counter, plus a prep area and a WC for staff at the back.
      Commoncraft approached the front-of-house space with an ethos akin to wabi-sabi, the Japanese art of “flawed beauty”.
      Commoncraft chose materials for the space that appear purposefully rough and unfinished”Employing a range of rough and raw materials, Commoncraft’s design of Kuppi Cafe seeks out the beauty in imperfection,” said the studio, which was founded by Zach Cohen and Tony-Saba Shiber.

      Textured concrete plaster curves up from two perpendicular walls and over the ceiling, enveloping the room together with the concrete floor.
      The compact space features a small bench for customers awaiting their ordersWhere these walls meet, a vertical element is wrapped in bluish plaster that’s peeling away to reveal a whitewash beneath.
      The Kuppi logo is applied faintly at the top, and stainless-steel shelves for displaying merchandise are cut into part of the pillar’s corner.
      The cafe counter is faced in bricks stacked on their sides to expose their “guts”Zones for customer interaction – including the service counter and a small bench – are defined by terracotta bricks, which are stacked on their sides in rowlock courses “to expose their core and mortar ‘guts’.”
      “Each terracotta volume is terminated by a course of cut bricks, further revealing the rough, imperfect cores,” Commoncraft said.

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      In such a compact space, the designers have ensured that their concept carries through each of the cafe’s elements.
      “The material honesty of the space is further reinforced by a number of small details,” said Commoncraft.
      A corner element is wrapped in bluish plaster that’s distressed to reveal a whitewash underneathThese include floating stainless steel shelves behind the counter, a freestanding glass splash guard for baked goods and spherical concrete pendant lights suspended at different heights above the bench.
      The cafe is highly visible from the high-traffic street through its fully glazed facade.
      The counter is terminated by a course of cut bricksNew York City is home to thousands of cafes and coffee shops, including many independent establishments with unique interiors intended to entice customers inside.
      Among them is another Commoncraft project: a Williamsburg eatery named Gertie designed as a playful tribute to the owner’s grandmother.
      The photography is by Andrew Fu.
      Project credits:
      Client: Kuppi Coffee Company (Kevin and Vivian Kim)Architecture and interior design: CommoncraftPlumbing engineer: Alan R SchwartzGeneral contractor: LTI Construction Corp

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      Moroni Ciovini and Ana Montero expose textured concrete walls in Buenos Aires shop

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      Local architecture studio Moroni Ciovini and designer Ana Montero have preserved the exposed layers of concrete wall for this bookstore and café in Buenos Aires.

      At just 247 square feet (23 square metres), Medio Pan cafe is just large enough to fit seating, a bar and bookshelves, which are located at the back and front of the store.
      Local studio Moroni++Ciovini and designer Ana Montero have completed a café and bookstore in Buenos AiresFor the shop’s interior, Moroni Ciovini (M++C) and Montero created a furniture unit of multilaminate guatambú wood that makes up the shop’s seating, bar and posterior bookshelf.
      A narrow bench runs along the length of the shop, facing the bar, so that visitors can get a closer look at the barista’s work, according to the team.
      The team preserved the original flooring and textured walls of the spaceStorage was integrated below the bench, while small wooden armrests were placed periodically and double as side tables.

      The seating runs directly into the bookshelf, which expands over the entrance to storage space at the back of the store. A chainlink fence extends from the top of the bookshelf to meet the ceiling.
      They created a wooden furniture system for the space that consists of seating, a bar and a bookshelfOn the opposite side of the bookshelf, a wider bench takes up the corner, providing a nook for visitors to more “calmly” enjoy a book.
      The cafe bar takes up the remaining space, with its front abutting the shop’s facade to double as a window counter.
      A soft green was used in tiles, paint, and textilesThe team created folding glass doors for the storefront, which can be arranged in a variety of positions. Small shelves were affixed to the doors, which display a changing parade of books held down by neon green elastic and small wooden pins.
      According to the team, the folding doors were created to evoke newsstands found throughout Buenos Aires.

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      The space was completed with soft green highlights, found in backsplash tile, cushioning and pillows that line the wooden seating, a curtain at the back of the store and Formica countertops.
      The layers and patterns of the textured concrete walls were kept largely preserved and covered with a transparent coating to display the space’s previous uses, while the team also decided to keep the original granite tile as a nod to the building’s history.
      The storefront was informed by newsstands found throughout Buenos AiresMoroni Ciovini is a Buenos Aires and Valencia-based architecture studio founded by Christian Moroni and Belén Ciovini.
      Elsewhere in Buenos Aires, designer Florencia Rissotti recently renovated a warehouse to host a fabric store and architects Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano created a bio-art installation focused on fungi.
      The photography is by Fernando Schapochnik
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Moroni++Ciovini, Ana Montero Construction: Estudio KO

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      Colour-drenched coffee shop by Uchronia references “sunsets in the Tunisian desert”

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      Gradated lava stone flooring and suspended planet-like orbs feature at the Cafe Nuances coffee shop in Paris, which was created by Dezeen Awards-nominated studio Uchronia.

      Located on the city’s Rue de la Tremoille, the coffee shop is the third Uchronia-designed branch for Parisian coffee roaster Cafe Nuances.
      Cafe Nuances’ latest branch has a bright white facadeThe one-room shop is fronted by a bright white facade in stark contrast to its vivid-hued interior.
      Studio founder Julien Sebban was informed by the landscapes he experienced on a recent trip to Tunisia when creating the cafe’s walls and lava stone flooring, which are decorated in ombre swathes of red, orange and blue.
      The colorful interior was informed by sunsets in Tunisia”They reminded him of the sunsets in the Tunisian desert – a veritable ode to the gentleness of summer days,” said the studio, known for its playfully eclectic designs and shortlisted in the emerging interior designer category at this year’s upcoming Dezeen Awards.

      The coffee shop’s entrance is flanked by two bright red benches topped with metallic-effect fabric – one curved, and the other straight.
      Uchronia crafted the counter from stainless steelLow-slung interlocking tables, which can double as stools, can be reconfigured to suit customers’ needs.
      Uchronia placed a chunky stainless steel counter at the back of the intimate cafe, which is overlooked by deep orange lacquered shelving – a design element found in the other two Cafe Nuances outlets.

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      “This new address picks up on the codes present in the second shop, accentuating the [coffee] brand’s colourful, futuristic retro universe,” explained the studio.
      A cluster of striking, spherical objects were finished in the same colours as the rest of the space and suspended from the reflective ceiling.
      Planet-like orbs add decoration to the space”Unlike [this branch’s] two big sisters, whose interiors feature striated shapes, here, the poly mirror tiles are complemented by half-spheres in saturated colours, accentuating the dreamlike feel of the coffee shop,” continued Uchronia.
      “They create the illusion of floating balls, which could be mistaken for Saturn.”
      Bespoke interlocking tables also function as stoolsThe studio previously livened up a Haussman-era Paris apartment for a pair of jewellery designers with furniture crafted to nod to the appearance of precious stones.
      Elsewhere, Canadian design duo Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster created a sky-blue coffee shop in a century-old house in Buffalo, New York, with an optical illusion staircase.
      The photography is by Félix Dol Maillot.

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