Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe by Jun Watanabe

Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe by Jun Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award nga Platinum in Disenyo sa Espasyong Interyor ug Eksibisyon Competition Category.

PlatinumInteryor· 2025

Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe

by Jun Watanabe

Client: no.10, NOMURA Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award nga Platinum Winner in Interyor Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe

Ang Arabica Riyadh Roastery usa ka cafe nga may estilo sa teatro nga gipahimutang sa usa ka gi-renovate nga bodega nga mga 885 ka metro kwadrado sa duha ka andana. Usa ka dako nga custom nga roasting machine ang nagbarog sa entablado sa likod nga bahin sa tindahan, nga giliyokan sa usa ka bodega sa liso sa kape. Ang counter sa kusina gibutang sa dapit diin unta mahimutang ang orchestra pit, ug ang atrium sa ibabaw nagpahigayon nga ang mga tingog sa mga barista mokaylap sa tibuok nga luna. Ang salog gipaubos sa atubangan sa entablado, samtang ang mga lingkoranan sa ibabaw nga andana naghatag og talan-awon gikan sa itaas. Ang puti nga artipisyal nga marmol, ladrilyo, gibangagan nga metal ug gipintalan nga mga nawong nagdugang og texture, ug ang nipis nga mga kurtina nagbahin sa mga box seat.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award nga Platinum

Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe usa ka mananaog sa A' Design Award nga Platinum, usa ka labihan ka prestihiyoso nga pag-ila nga gihatag sa mga disenyo nga tinuod nga talagsaon, elegante, ug mahimayaon. Ang mga mananaog sa Platinum mga katingalahan sa paglalang, pamatuod sa mga utlanan sa intelektwal nga pagkamamugnaon, ug nagpakita sa walay kaparis nga pagkapropesyonal ug henyo sa ilang mga tigdesinyo. Kini nga mga disenyo gilauman nga mahimong labing bantogang mga buhat nga nagtakda sa estetika sa usa ka panahon, nag-amot sa kaayohan sa katilingban, ug nagpalapad sa mga utlanan sa arte, siyensya, disenyo, ug teknolohiya. Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe nagpakita og transendente nga lebel sa kahusayan ug walay duhaduha nga naghimo sa kalibutan nga mas maayong dapit pinaagi sa mapuslanon ug bililhon niyang mga kinaiya. Arabica Riyadh Roastery Cafe usa ka buhat nga nakadaog og A' Design Award nga Platinum nga nagpukaw sa mga tinguha, nagdasig, nagpalipay, ug nagpasanag og dakong kalipay.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
Team Members: Creative Director：Keita Aono
Designer：Jun Watanabe