CAFÉ PLUS
Reinventing Interior Design for the Modern Café Space
FOREWORD
Stelios Kois–Kois Associated Architects
Creating New Rituals
Drinking coffee is associated with different rituals and social habits, even social and artistic movements across the world. Drinking coffee in Greece, for instance, is strongly associated with the outdoors; with the daily ritual of getting some sun or enjoying short intervals of repose within one's daily regime. Designing a new café should take various social and sociological processes into account, but not be patterned by following the same approach as another pre-existing café.
Any new design needs to be aligned with the psyche and the characteristics of the people who will visit it, taking everything into account—from demographics, to their degree of spirituality and education. An architect's concern is never to create a dining or drinking area, but a place for meetings and a space that will allow a short pause within someone's routine. Be it a canteen in a workplace where employees enjoy a much-deserved coffee break or, as in our case, a museum café where visitors have the opportunity to gather their thoughts over a cup of coffee or a glass of cool water, following the experience of visiting an exhibition.
The Activation of Emotions
Architecture should be easy to access but hard to forget. Experience, as previously mentioned, is based on the activation of emotions. With the right choice of materials, the creator's objective of activating the emotional process can be realised. Materials are inextricably linked to our lives, our memories; they are the tools that convey the message to the visitor's emotional realm and further, to their subconscious. Equally important is the selection of color, as a means of communication between the creator and the observer.
Given the fact that a café is visited by hundreds and perhaps, hopefully, thousands of people each year, the resilience of materials should be another component to the design process, taking into account not only the vast number of incoming crowds but also the diverse behaviors that might occur within the space—from coffee stains and spills on the tabletops to coloring from children drawing on the furniture or on the floors. Yet, durability needs to correspond with the overall feeling of a space and the wider architectural context it belongs to—be it an old industrial building transformed into an arts center or a hi-tech corporate building. At the same time, we cannot overlook the importance of light. In many cases, light is one of the paramount design components as well as the co-creator: a “material” to create various forms.
Our philosophy as a design studio is far from designing a space that is bound to the furniture placed inside it. We see the bigger picture and cater to the greater experiential impact a space might bring. Timelessness is, of course, one of the
main concerns: to create something that sustains its character even when ephemeral components such as its furniture, light fixtures even its cutlery might shift. Architecture reaches greatness when it manages to withstand time. We don't care to create static sets, but rather living organisms that can interact with people and adapt to different circumstances. As for an architect's obsession with detail and the complexity of the details themselves, these are the keys to the intensity and complexity of the final result.
Reinventing the Process
When it comes to processes, as a team we avoid following any predetermined concept; that is exactly what defines us. Every new project needs to be unique, bearing its own entity and identity. A well-trained eye might recognize some details or lines that recur in our designs, but what is really important to us is to reinvent our approach each time. Our philosophy is aligned to more profound concepts that engage human interaction and have very little to do with current marketing techniques and strategies. Therefore, we feel it is almost wrong to speak of trends in architecture, since looking at things from this specific standpoint, one inevitably begins a process of standardization of architecture; an oxymoron as people have different needs and behavioral attributes across the world. The existence of architecture is intrinsically dependent upon human existence and needs to be able to unfold in sync with the needs of the people around it at the given period of time and locality.
Our mission statement as a studio was created around the notion of always taking on projects that entail particular architectural merit. In the case of the Cycladic Café & Shop of the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, that has been the reason why we agreed to design a public space that is often associated with a very specific purpose. The Cycladic Café has become a busy locale frequented by people who visit the museum solely to enjoy its café. Visitors who seek an outdoor experience in an introverted space; where the ambience and the light seem to change following the year's seasons. All these components constitute the “fine design” of a space that gathers people not only to enjoy the beverages served there, but to enjoy the locus per se.
The bottom line is that a project's success is defined by how it is perceived and embraced by the public. Architecture cannot be considered an art form if it does not include the human element. An architectural work can only be considered successful when the humans living within it can breathe life into it. Only time and people can justify a project's success. Especially when that project is a café—to many, the cornerstone of social life.
Case Study– Cycladic Café & Shop
The large collection of the Cycladic civilization is housed within the building of the Museum of Cycladic Art, a distinctive example of neoclassical architecture in a prominent location in the city center of Athens. The Cycladic Café and Shop of the museum were recently redesigned by the award-winning firm Kois Associated Architects in order to reflect the Cycladic feeling. Inspiration was drawn by the simplicity of the forms of
traditional Cycladic art, merging with the building’s classical character. Upon entering on the ground floor, the visitor encounters the Cycladic Café and Shop in the atrium. The layout strongly echoes the free-form layout of the ancient agora.
The Cycladic Shop is situated on two levels. In the first area, two parallel blocks are constructed in a vertical plane, forming a cubist landscape. The openness of the space invites the visitor to investigate the objects of the store. A linear path guides the visitor through the space. Simultaneously, an intangible effect differentiates the materiality and form into two surfaces. The first part is identified by a partition wall, which creates a rhythm via recessed displays. The surface of the following part emerges through the monolithic roughness that flows organically to meet the ceiling. The pace, scale, and morphology of these elements refer to monolithic marble blocks of ancient Cycladic quarries and the architectural character of the Cyclades.
the Cycladic rocks the Aegean light
the cultural icon the façade
Beyond the Cycladic Shop, the visitor is welcomed to the Cycladic Café, a tranquil and sun-filled urban garden, with the characteristic roof screens that filter the sunlight, creating subtle shading. The color palette and materials derive from the natural tones and textures of the Cycladic landscape. Stone, timber, metal, and glass are utilized to create an urban oasis reminiscent of the atmosphere of the islands. The white canopy of the Cycladic Café refracts the light and imposes the specific Cycladic aura in the space. The architect was heavily influenced and guided throughout the design process from the scale, harmony, and simplicity of the reinstated Thesaurus of Keros and the larger marble vessels and idols. The natural light is further accented by the thoughtful lighting design, while the marble benches and green wall reaching to the atrium’s ceiling add to the ancient echoes.
Section
CASE STUDIES
9¾ Bookstore and Café
Location / Medellín, Colombia
Area / 1292 square feet (120 square meters)
Client / 9¾ Bookstore + Café
Designer / Plasma Nodo
Completion / 2015
Photography / Daniel Mejía
9¾ Bookstore and Café is a playful place where people come to not only read, but also share their passion for design (and coffee). Located in Medellín, Colombia, the space is clearly more than just a modern bookstore and café; it was designed to encourage socialization. It specializes in children’s books, but adults can also have some fun. It’s a place that understands that books are material that become art.
The designers believe that cities need warm and pleasant meeting places that welcome and invite people to learn and have fun with families and friends, sites where people not only buy products, but go to have a good time. The designers also believe that the best ideas and conversations happen over a good cup of coffee, which helps spawn imagination, magic, dreams, and memories. Technology can be the magic wand to enter unimaginable worlds, but it will never dethrone the King: the book.
The areas for children are small hiding places where they can draw, rest, and play while learning and enjoying a good book, a place that encourages the child's approach to reading. For adults there are private reading rooms and also tables for sharing, all surrounded by warm materials, furniture, and decorative objects that speak of the joy of a good story offered by a good book. The coffee is some of the best in town, prepared by experts and brought from the best Colombian origins.
The designers tried to use nature-friendly materials that reflect the warm atmosphere. The main material is natural wood (pine and oak), and it is used almost everywhere in the shop, but always mixed with steel, glass, concrete, and natural vegetation. Every piece of wood comes from selected suppliers that guarantee its origin and the responsible use of natural resources.
Children’s reading room 01 /
