Design of a wooden building for the Japanese coffee chain % ARABICA
Materials >
Framework and joinery in solid Jabon wood (Anthocephalus cadamba), enameled tiles roofing, whitewashed terracotta brick, polished poured concrete floor, steel skylight, galvanized steel, fiberglass, glass, stainless steel, corian®
Floor area: 180 sqm
Client: % ARABICA
Design: ciguë
© photo : Manual (3,5,10), Kie (1,4,7,8,11)
Ciguë was commissioned to design the first % Arabica coffee roasting unit in Jakarta, in the well-heeled residential district of Gunawarma. The design of this new wooden building combines the pared-back codes of %Arabica with those of Javanese crafts, referencing the archetypes of traditional Indonesian dwellings and the heritage of Dutch colonial architecture, still very present in this part of the city. Based on a modular manufacturing workshop layout with a central atrium, the building takes benefit of multiple natural light entrances, both Zenithal and transverse. At the front, extends a long terrace open to the street while in the background stands a small patio where a lush vegetation grows. Inside, the vintage Probat roaster is the mechanical heart of the building. the roasting area glazed volume becomes the articulation of the interior spaces. The ground floor, walkways and mezzanine are all points of view offered to visitors on the fascinating process of transforming raw beans into coffee. Traditional glazed tiles roofing, local solid wood framework and joinery, whitewashed terracotta bricks… the new outlet highlights the rich materials and craftsmanship that characterize its anchorage territory. This ambivalence between industrial and vernacular references applies to the entire design of the % Arabica Jakarta Roastery. Under the glass skylight set into the pitched roof, the counters are clad in stainless steel topped with the white Corian that forms part of the brand’s identity, but it’s wood that steals the show, lit by the Tissoffio blown-glass lamps designed and developed by ciguë in collaboration with the Italian design firm Viabizzuno.