Arabica Riyadh Roastery مقهى

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Like a theatre, the floor is lowered in front of the stage, with upper-level seating around it, so that the main stage can be seen from most seats. The store offers a variety of spatial experiences, with varying ceiling heights, including a low, calm seating area and an open atrium. The entrance staircase is designed at a height that allows the stage to be seen from the outside, as in a theatre, to heighten the sense of anticipation and attract customers.

Dimensions & Packaging

Store area 885 sqm with 2 floors.
Ground floor ceiling height: 2650mm.
First-floor ceiling height: 2450mm.
Atrium ceiling height: 6500mm

Tags

cafe, coffeeshop, Japanese, Japan, no__10, nomurakougeisha, ARABICA

Production Technology

While unified in white, the color of ARABICA’s stores, the space expresses a deep white by providing variations in texture, such as artificial marble, brick, perforated metal, and flat painted surfaces. The floor is made of top-coated epoxy resin to achieve a clean, white, seamless floor. Indirect lighting was added to the ceiling in the atrium through perforated metal to create a top-light-like illumination.

Design Challenge

The process of determining the viewpoints of each seating area was difficult. After verifying how the main stage would be presented from each seating area through drawings and renderings, the seating layout and the viewpoint height from each seat were determined. We also controlled the visibility inside and outside the store through the height difference by creating a staircase at the entrance and lowering only the area around the kitchen counter.

Research

In order to make the cafe comfortable for Saudi Arabian people, we visited various local cafes and restaurants for research. Also, we interviewed franchise owners about the Saudi people and local culture. Based on the information obtained, we installed sheer curtains that take into account the distance between men and women, furniture shapes that make it easy to sit on, even in ethnic dress, and mirrors for personal grooming.

Inspiration

The store is a theatre-style cafe in a renovated warehouse of approx. 900 square meters, with a custom-built giant roasting machine as the star attraction. The roasting machine is placed on a stage at the back of the store, surrounded by ARABICA’s iconic bean cellar. A kitchen counter is installed in the position of the orchestra pit, and the atrium above allows the pleasant sound of the barista to echo throughout the store. Visitors can enjoy the story of making coffee with all five senses.

Project Duration

The project started with a site visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April 2019. The design phase started immediately and was completed in November of the same year. Construction work started in October 2019 and was completed in May 2022. (It took a long time because of the Corona disaster.) The Store opened in May 2022.

Operation Flow

Variety of seats are available for various ways of enjoyment. Bench seats where you can watch the barista's performance right in front of you. Box seats on the ground floor where you can see the kitchen and the stage up close. On the first floor, box seats and counter seats are available for a bird's-eye view of the stage and kitchen. Seats for four near the window offers a cozy atmosphere with the sounds of the kitchen as background music.

Patents

Copyrights: NOMURA Co., Ltd.