EBBA Architects Design Tranquil Coffee Haven in London's Holborn Station
EBBA Architects has transformed a former dry cleaner's into a serene coffee shop for Joe Blake's within the bustling Holborn tube station. Utilizing a palette of warm colors and opaque surfaces, the design aims to create a peaceful retreat for commuters. The innovative use of a stainless steel counter and 'milky' storage cabinets adds to the calming aesthetic, offering a moment of respite from the urban rush.
Tekla's London Flagship Blends Scandinavian Clarity with British Charm
Danish homeware brand Tekla has unveiled its first UK store on London's Marylebone High Street, a serene space designed by Mentze Ottenstein. The store showcases a harmonious blend of natural materials like clay plaster, cherry wood, and wool, reflecting a fusion of Scandinavian minimalism and subtle British design sensibilities to create an inviting retail experience.
Cafe Tondo: A Vibrant Culinary and Community Hub in LA's Chinatown
Cafe Tondo, a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles' Chinatown, has been meticulously crafted by Mouthwash Studio and Aunt Studio to serve as a welcoming community hub. Drawing inspiration from casual Mexico City cantinas, its interiors blend warmth and generosity, offering coffee, wine, small plates, and live music. The design emphasizes custom Mexican furnishings and ceramics, creating a space that encourages social connection and lingering.
Minimal Studio has created 'Plastic Box,' a unique supermarket in Mallorca, Spain, characterized by its minimalist design, raw concrete surfaces, and an eye-catching ceiling crafted from 1,200 recycled plastic crates. This innovative design strips away conventional commercial aesthetics, focusing instead on architecture, material, and light to create an immersive, exhibition-like experience for shoppers. The studio's approach aims to redefine the retail space by emphasizing visual sequences and guiding visitors through the store as if it were an art gallery.
Inside the 193-square-meter establishment, the architecture practice extended the use of concrete to tables and shelving, reinforcing the raw, industrial aesthetic. The studio's founder, Juan David Martínez Jofre, highlighted concrete's role in providing emotional and visual stability, contrasting it with the transient nature of plastic and product packaging. Complementing the concrete, a mix of stainless steel, translucent polycarbonate, and recycled plastic panels were chosen for their light-distorting qualities and ability to blur physical boundaries, creating an atmospheric environment that is both robust and visually light. The recycled plastic crates, sourced from local food distribution networks, serve not only as a striking decorative element but also ingeniously conceal LED lighting, ventilation, and rainwater collection systems, demonstrating a blend of sustainability and design ingenuity.
The store's color scheme is deliberately neutral, featuring shades of grey, beige, and pale sage green, which serve as a subdued backdrop to the vibrant product packaging. Jofre describes 'Plastic Box' as a "brutalist art gallery disguised as a supermarket," where the functional aspect of shopping merges with artistic appreciation. This concept transforms products into artwork, packaging into frames, and light into a curator, leading to a retail space that sparks curiosity and introspection, offering a stark contrast to typical shopping environments and receiving positive feedback from customers for its unique atmosphere.
The 'Plastic Box' supermarket represents a pioneering approach to retail design, demonstrating that even the most mundane spaces can be transformed into captivating experiences through thoughtful architecture and material innovation. By integrating sustainable practices with a strong artistic vision, Minimal Studio has not only created a functional store but also an inspiring example of how design can elevate everyday activities and encourage a deeper appreciation for our surroundings. This project encourages us to see beauty and purpose in unexpected places, promoting a future where sustainability and creativity converge to enhance our built environment.