Latitude designs a cafe in Qingdao, China based on the concept of a ‘story container’.
December 30th, 2014
Cafes, tea rooms, fast food restaurants and other urban spaces are increasingly taking on roles that historically belonged in our homes – from our living rooms to our dining rooms, kitchens and even the bathroom.
So when Latitude was tasked to design the BeanBar Café in the seaside town of Qingdao, China, they wanted it to feel like part of the home, a haven where customers could hang out with friends and family.
“Our aim was create a quality space with a comfortable atmosphere… our design intention is ‘café as a story container’. It can contain different people with different stories, like a home,” says Chief Designer Manuel N. Zornoza.
The café covers 200 square metres and is organised into two levels. The first floor works as an extension of the outdoor terrace with a large common area, a hefty wooden table beside the service area, and a cashier. A second seating area on the same level is located under the mezzanine, with tables and chairs for two – ideal for more intimate gatherings.
The designers have deliberately kept to a limited range of materials: black steel for the staircase, wooden flooring and the same black steel for the handrails on the mezzanine, and concrete for the floor and walls on the first level.
“We wanted to make the space more elegant and integrated [so refrained from using a] variety of materials,” Zornoza explains. “A café should offer a serene atmosphere where customers can immerse in their own world.”
Comfortable fabric chairs and sofas, and warm lighting complete the look – and the sense of home.
Latitude
latitudestudio.eu
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
‘The Elevation of Gravity’ installation was an immersive showcase of innovation that heralded the debut of Gaggenau’s groundbreaking Essential Induction cooktop.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
When iconic brands wield their influence, the ripples extend far beyond aesthetics. And so when the MillerKnoll collective formed, the very concept of design shifted, supercharging the industry’s aspiration to create a better world into an unwavering sense of responsibility to do so.
Esteemed international practice OMA has completed AIR in Singapore, a genre-straddling project defined by openness and an emphasis on waste.