Maze Studio: Minel Café, located on Kowsar Boulevard in Mashhad, was designed with the goal of creating a unique and immersive experience within a compact 36-square-meter space. The client requested a pastry café that could offer maximum spatial and visual diversity to stimulate the customers’ senses.
The central design challenge was: how can we create a visually rich and imaginative environment in such a limited area?
Inspired by the name of the project—meaning “pearl in the sky”—the design concept draws from the aurora borealis and the celestial dome, evoking a boundless sky full of colors and patterns. The existing arch in the façade continues into the interior, shaping a curved space enhanced by intersecting forms that resemble the sky’s dome. Along the longitudinal axis, the space is divided into two distinct zones: a waiting area and a service area, differentiated by warm and cool color schemes.
To elevate the sensory experience, dynamic lighting and a video projector were integrated into the design. These allow for flexible, ever-changing visual displays that can be customized based on events or customer preferences—transforming the small physical space into a visually engaging and adaptable environment.
