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Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ by Jun Watanabe

Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ by Jun Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Πλατινένιο Βραβείο A' Design Award in Σχεδιασμός Εσωτερικών Χώρων και Εκθέσεων Competition Category.


ΠλατινένιοΕσωτερική Διακόσμηση· 2025

Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ

by Jun Watanabe

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

Πλατινένιο Βραβείο A' Design Award Winner in Εσωτερική Διακόσμηση Category

Colors

The Design

About Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ

Το Arabica Riyadh Roastery είναι ένα καφέ σε στυλ θεάτρου, τοποθετημένο σε μια ανακαινισμένη αποθήκη περίπου 885 τετραγωνικών μέτρων σε δύο ορόφους. Μια μεγάλη ειδικά κατασκευασμένη μηχανή καβουρδίσματος στέκεται σε μια σκηνή στο πίσω μέρος του καταστήματος, πλαισιωμένη από ένα κελάρι κόκκων καφέ. Ο πάγκος της κουζίνας είναι τοποθετημένος εκεί όπου θα βρισκόταν ο χώρος της ορχήστρας, ενώ το αίθριο από πάνω επιτρέπει στους ήχους των μπαρίστα να διαχέονται σε όλο τον χώρο. Το δάπεδο είναι χαμηλωμένο μπροστά από τη σκηνή, ενώ τα καθίσματα του επάνω επιπέδου προσφέρουν θέα από ψηλά. Λευκό τεχνητό μάρμαρο, τούβλο, διάτρητο μέταλλο και βαμμένες επιφάνειες προσθέτουν υφή, ενώ διαφανείς κουρτίνες διαχωρίζουν τα θεωρεία.

The Recognition

About the Πλατινένιο Βραβείο A' Design Award

Το σχέδιο Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ κέρδισε το Πλατινένιο Βραβείο A' Design Award, μια εξαιρετικά διακεκριμένη αναγνώριση που απονέμεται σε πραγματικά εξαιρετικά, κομψά και μεγαλοπρεπή σχέδια. Οι νικητές του Πλατινένιου Βραβείου είναι θαύματα δημιουργίας, μαρτυρίες των ορίων της πνευματικής δημιουργικότητας και αποδεικνύουν την απαράμιλλη επαγγελματικότητα και την ιδιοφυΐα των σχεδιαστών τους. Αυτά τα σχέδια αναμένεται να είναι τα πιο διάσημα έργα που καθορίζουν την αισθητική μιας εποχής, συμβάλλουν στην ευημερία της κοινωνίας και προωθούν τα όρια της τέχνης, της επιστήμης, του σχεδιασμού και της τεχνολογίας. Το σχέδιο Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ επιδεικνύει ένα υπερβατικό επίπεδο αριστείας και αναμφίβολα κάνει τον κόσμο καλύτερο με τα πλεονεκτικά και αξιόλογα χαρακτηριστικά του. Το σχέδιο Arabica Riyadh Roastery Καφέ είναι ένα έργο που βραβεύτηκε με το Πλατινένιο Βραβείο A' Design Award και προκαλεί επιθυμίες, εμπνέει, ενθουσιάζει, ευχαριστεί και γεννά μεγάλη χαρά.

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

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