Set within a strikingly angular, almost brutalist-like, concrete and glass building which merges Scandinavian and Japanese design, this original coffee space is located on King’s Road, the main road to Jeddah.
To complement the building’s brutalist-like edifice, floor-to-ceiling concrete columns have been incorporated within the design, softening the minimalist appearance by introducing curves where the columns join with horizontal beams. The use of concrete columns serve two purposes: to act as supports for the second-storey retail space, and to add a sense of structural grandeur. To achieve a relaxed setting, materials such as terrazzo for the floors, and oak for the grid-like dividers, screen walls, and window louvres are used throughout. As well as having a decorative quality, the oak window structures also temper the sun’s intensity, providing much-needed shade, alongside reducing solar heat gain, thus reducing the need for air conditioning and lessening the building’s energy consumption. What’s more, with the grid-like formation framing each window, the interior is dappled with ever-changing natural light, something that has a positive effect on the well-being of patrons.
