This Starfish Inspired Coffee Shop And Bar Brings Buildings To Life With Biomimetic Design

Have you seen buildings that sometimes resemble plants, flowers, or animals? Wonder what that’s called? Biomimetic Architecture is a fascinating concept that takes inspiration from nature to design buildings. It’s about bringing the efficiency, resilience, and beauty of nature into our built environment. The Starfish Coffeeshop & Bar, a stunning architectural marvel, epitomizes this ethos with its seamless integration of organic forms and sustainable materials.

Designer: Thilina Liyanage

At first glance, the structure resembles a starry creature from beneath the waves. This organic aesthetic is no accident; it’s a deliberate tribute to the starfish, with its graceful arms extending outward. This innovative design approach not only captivates the eye but also serves a functional purpose, creating a space that feels naturally harmonious and inviting.

The central disk, reminiscent of a starfish’s body, serves as the nucleus of the coffee shop & bar. Supported by five columns beneath each arm, the structure exudes stability and balance. Here, customers can gather around a 360-degree bar, enjoying cocktails amidst a tropical ambiance. The surrounding seating areas, arranged in a radial fashion, invite visitors to linger and savor the experience, similar to relaxing in a beachside shack with open views on all sides.

One of the most striking features of this coffee shop & bar is its emphasis on natural light and ventilation. Glass panels, resembling the ampullae of a starfish, beautify the ceiling, allowing sunlight to filter through during the day. This not only illuminates the space but also reduces the need for artificial lighting, enhancing energy efficiency.

Moreover, the use of speculative locally sourced materials such as bamboo and wood underscores the project’s commitment to vernacular architecture. By leveraging indigenous resources, the structure seamlessly blends with its surroundings while minimizing its environmental footprint. This emphasis on sustainability extends beyond mere aesthetics, embodying a holistic approach to responsible design.

Perhaps the crowning touch of the Starfish coffee shop & bar is the lifelike sculpture suspended above the bar. Resembling a starfish or octopus, this installation adds a whimsical touch to the space, infusing it with a sense of wonder and playfulness. For customers seated beneath, it creates a sense of being immersed in an underwater world, further enhancing the overall experience.

With its open-air design and ample seating, the coffee shop & bar provides the perfect setting for leisurely conversations and shared moments. Families can gather around the central bar, enjoying refreshing beverages while soaking in the tropical atmosphere. Children can delight in the whimsical surroundings, imagining themselves exploring an underwater kingdom teeming with life.

For those seeking respite from the heat, the coffee shop & bar offers a cool oasis, where icy beverages and frosty beers provide welcome relief. Whether you’re sipping on a craft cocktail or savoring a cold brew, every sip is accompanied by the gentle rustle of leaves and the soothing sounds of nature.

As the sun sets and the temperature cools, the ambiance shifts, casting a soft glow over the surroundings. Couples can enjoy a romantic evening under the stars, sharing sweet moments amidst the enchanting backdrop of the starfish-inspired architecture.

The post This Starfish Inspired Coffee Shop And Bar Brings Buildings To Life With Biomimetic Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Minimal cafe with glass panels + floating corners is a tranquil haven to grab a cup of joe in hectic Bangkok

Nestled in the bustling and hectic city of Bangkok is an adorable coffee shop called the Double Slash // Coffee Space. Designed by Spacy Architecture, the cafe is inspired by the international style that grew popular during the Art Deco period in the 1930s. The cafe borrowed the period’s aerodynamic design, functioning as a space that is simple yet free-flowing and dynamic. It is marked by flowy lines and seamless movements.

Designer: Spaccy Architecture

The coffee shop is fitted into a horizontal framework with a minimal, clean, and tassel-free design. It is devoid of unnecessary ornamentations and is defined by flowy curving forms and angular planning orientation. The structure is topped by a flat roof, with glass panels and floating corners, creating a clear connection between the interiors and the exteriors. The transparent facade of the cafe makes the space seem cozy and homely, and the interiors are bright and warm, which instantly invite you in for a cup of joe. The light installed within the cafe is indirect, so it doesn’t seem too harsh or uncomfortable.

The floor features a two-toned oblique pattern, and the interior and exterior seating areas are separated via a discreet glass panel. The connected wood tables create a visual connection between the indoor and outdoor sections. Concrete finishings on the counter and wooden elements provide a raw naturality to the space. The original space was founded by an industrial designer who spent years practicing forest tradition in Isan, Thailand. “Double Slash” comes from what he usually uses to create space amongst his ideas while working. These parallel oblique lines are not only the common written symbols used by him, but they also symbolize flow, movement, and continuity.

The intention and aim behind designing this tranquil coffee shop was to create a cafe that serves as a space of contemplation and mindfulness in the otherwise chaotic city of Bangkok. It attempts to provide the citizens of Bangkok with a quaint spot to relax, unwind, and grab a cuppa. The visual language and brand identity of the cafe were created to support this persona – one of peace, fluidity, and spaciousness.

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Tokyo’s unique Blue Bottle Cafe offers a safe experience for introverts & coffee lovers!




If I want to be more productive, I usually go work in a cafe to have a change of space or do a coffee run as a reward for finishing my tasks. But ever since the pandemic started, it has almost been impossible to work in a cafe but it has also become trickier to pick up coffee while making sure sanitizer doesn’t get into it! But this Blue Bottle Coffee pop-up in Shibuya, Tokyo is making that little normal part of our lives safer by creating a contactless experience to get our coffees using AI robots.

The interior architecture is designed to utilize the technology of AI cafe robot ‘Root C’ which is a service that lets you order from a screen and pick up your fresh coffee from a capsule. There are multiple slots that make up a whole wall of lockers and it almost looks like capsule hotels but tinier for your drink!

Designed by the Schema Architectural Plan, the capsules resemble a beehive. Wood is used to add warmth and translucent acrylic that covers the capsule is inspired by the glow of honey. It is designed to make you feel comfortable even if you are staying for a short time, taking home a drink.

It is a simple way to adapt to the demand for contactless service and safety while still making it a pleasant experience (especially when compared to a drive-thru!). When the barista places the coffee in the locker, the capsule glows to alert you that you can pick up your drink.

The ordering and receiving locker system is only available in Blue Bottle’s Shibuya location for now. Not only does it reduce the risk of transmission and protect people, but it is also a blessing for introverts in all circumstances – ordering without interacting with anyone.

Designer: Schema Architectural Plan, New Innovations, and Blue Bottle Coffee

The post Tokyo’s unique Blue Bottle Cafe offers a safe experience for introverts & coffee lovers! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This upcycled coffee shop + roastery’s plant-filled design is built up of 80% construction waste!

Coffee shops are daylight’s social hubs, where people across town come to catch up with old friends, study for final exams, or just have a cup of coffee and people-watch. The design and setup of coffee shops make all the difference when you’re looking for one to spend the day. Rene Kralovič, head roaster and founder of coffee roasting company Rusty Nails, knows this well and built Grounds, a coffee hub and roastery in Karlín, Prague, where 80% of its interior was assembled using upcycled construction site waste from a previously dismantled project.

Grounds was initially conceptualized by Kralovič as a public center where the concept of a roastery could be expanded to include the surrounding coffee community. In order to weave this goal throughout the planning and building of Grounds, the building’s construction was designed and assembled following a hands-on approach by the local coffee community. With 80% of Grounds’ interior coming from construction waste from previously abandoned projects, most of the furniture was refurbished and repurposed for use in a coffee shop. The light fixtures derive from inactive weapons factories, the concrete, and wooden coffee tables were hand-made on-site, and the bar is built from uncoated corrugated sheets of metal. Today, Grounds operates as a public hub where the coffee can be served straight from its own roastery.

The coffee shop is also split up that way– coffee shop and roastery. Grounds is contained within a street building, where a center structure keeps the shop’s roastery and sales floor. The built-in inner room is designated as a showroom for coffee competitions, testing, and roasting. Facing the shop’s main entrance, the inner room opens up as the sales area where customers can purchase a drink and then follow the tangerine-colored side staircase up to the shop’s upper working space or social hub. The working space’s perimeter is wrapped up in corrugated sheets of plastic that create nooks and crannies where plants can grow and help purify the upstairs air while receiving plenty of natural sunlight from Grounds’ open skylight.

Designer: Rene Kralovič x Rusty Nails

Grounds’ built-in inner room contains the shop’s roastery and showroom.

Grounds coffee shop features an upstairs working space and downstairs meeting place.

From the behind, Grounds coffee shop’s inner room has a translucent covering and remains accessible by the general public.

Situated in front of Grounds coffee shop’s sales floor, a cafeteria allows customers to sit, chat, and enjoy their coffee.

 

Just beyond the front counter, Grounds coffee shop’s roastery hides away in the building’s innermost room.

On one side of the inner room, a tangerine staircase leads customers to the Grounds’ working area upstairs.

Contained within a wrapping of corrugated plastic sheets, the working area is zoned off from the rest of Grounds.

Entering Grounds’ working area, customers are greeted with pots of plants and greenery that work to help clean the air and maintain humidity levels for the coffee roasting process.

A skylight brings in natural sunlight to open up the upstairs area and helps to feed the space’s many plants.

London Gets a LEGO Coffee Shop

Recently, London went LEGO while promoting The LEGO Movie 2. Among the LEGO-mania was a pop-up coffee shop that filled with LEGO items. The pop-up cafe is called The Coffee Chain, and it was inspired by the cafe in the movie. It was set up at London’s Observation Point in South Bank for two days.

The LEGO brick cafe is one thing, but there were also LEGO cupcakes that look delicious, though you would lose some teeth trying to eat one. The movie’s voice actors paid the coffee shop a visit too, including Chris Pratt and Tiffany Haddish who are the voices of Emmet and Queen Whatevra Wa’Nabi. The pair were on hand to serve the first customers, as well as endure endless selfies.

 

About 50,000 LEGO elements were used to bring the coffee shop to life, and it took six builders 236 hours to finish. Obviously, the entire structure wasn’t built entirely of LEGO, but it’s still pretty damn cool. It probably would have taken them a million pieces or more if it was.

I’d like to see LEGO build an entire town out of LEGO bricks, so people could live in it. I would live there. Though I’d probably kill my feet just walking across the floor of my house.

[via Adweek via Mikeshouts]

Nokia brings wireless charging to Virgin Atlantic lounges, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Nokia brings wireless charging to Virgin Atlantic lounges, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Nokia thinks you'll like the wireless phone charging on your Lumia 920 or 820 enough to want to take it on the road, and to that end it's striking a deal to bring the cable-free experience beyond the home. Both Virgin Atlantic's lounge at Heathrow Airport and countertops at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the US will let you top up your Windows Phone without having to hunt for a power outlet. We're still waiting on details like the timing, but we're glad to know that we won't have to lug around our FatBoy Recharge Pillows just to keep living in Nokia's vision of the future.

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Nokia brings wireless charging to Virgin Atlantic lounges, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel teams up with DeviceScape for automatic public WiFi, will hook up your Ultrabook in the background

Intel Ivy Bridge touchscreen Ultrabook reference model

We all know the coffee shop WiFi routine: crack open the laptop, visit a splash page, and dutifully wait until you're logged in before you get to Twitter. Through a new deal between Intel and DeviceScape, you won't even have to think about it. Intel's Smart Connect tool will soon automatically sign in your Ultrabook to a curated list of quality, open WiFi hotspots, even if the PC is fast asleep. This last trick might need Windows 8's Connected Standby mode to live up to Intel's expectations, but the dream is to have your email and social feeds updated and waiting before that laptop or tablet screen has even blinked into life. Intel is leaving some gaps in the story, such as whether or not gadget owners will pay a premium for the fast access. We'd guess that Intel is counting on higher computer (and more importantly, processor) sales to make up the difference.

Intel teams up with DeviceScape for automatic public WiFi, will hook up your Ultrabook in the background originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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