Turning point
Atelier IN: On Xiangyang South Road in the French Concession of Shanghai, a variety of coffee shops gather, surrounded by bustling crowds and the rich atmosphere of local markets. ALOHA COFFEE's second store has also chosen to settle here, aiming to establish a strong presence in the community. As the brand celebrates its third anniversary, it also embraces an opportunity for store renovation. The brand's owner has won the championship at the 2024 World Barista Championship in the China region, marking a significant step forward for ALOHA COFFEE in the industry. The owner's vision for future stores has become the source of design inspiration for this renovation project.
Outlook
The owner aims to create a more ceremonial experience for the offerings and services of future stores, introducing the concept of “Coffee Omakase.” This concept combines the classic “One Bean, Three Drinks” format from competitions, intending to showcase the essence of coffee competitions to every enthusiast or anyone curious about coffee. Each serving is a one-on-one experience, providing guests with a multi-sensory experience that engages their vision, touch, hearing, and taste.
Concept
Under the premise of re-planning the spatial functionality, the design emphasizes a clear boundary along the bar through the distinct color variations presented by materials. This boundary runs throughout the interior, not to emphasize distance or achieve absolute separation, but to delineate the seating area from the operation area while defining a space for the product-making process, outlining the boundary of the “stage.”
A stage has boundaries, distinguishing between what is on stage and off stage. The techniques and craftsmanship presented by the barista, refined through study and practice, along with the innovative concepts behind them, resemble performers on stage. Appropriate boundaries can delineate professionalism; however, unlike a performance, the emotional transmission here relies more on taste, creating a more intimate sensory experience.
The Boundary
In addition to emphasizing the boundary itself, we also want to highlight the process of breaking boundaries. When the barista hands a creation to the guest, slightly leaning in to explain the principles and meanings behind it, the entire “performance” reaches its conclusion. This reflects our understanding of the barista's professionalism. Thus, the process of serving each cup of coffee involves crossing this dividing line to present it to the guest. Everything that happens on this line emphasizes the act of sharing and conveying the emotions behind product creation, which is also the original intention ALOHA COFFEE wishes to express to every customer through its offerings.
Continuation
We approach the design process from a renovation perspective, aiming to preserve some traces of the original store. We want the updates to be readable to the street and the city. For a community-oriented café, both we and the owners hope customers can experience this sense of renewal—the old space has transformed, yet the scenes of the past remain reflected in the new environment.
Thus, we retained most of the original store’s till wall, which represent the spatial texture, while replacing the lower parts of the bar with a wall skirt made of flat tiles, creating a cohesive connection with the other spaces. Similarly, the multilayered plywood of the banyan tree burl was a prominent feature of the original store, even an aggressive one. We maintained the use of multilayered plywood but switched to a softer-textured material made of okoume wood.
