Merci Cafetería by Yuma Sato is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Bronce in Diseño de Arquitectura, Edificación y Estructuras Competition Category.

BronceArquitectura· 2025

Merci Cafetería

by Yuma Sato

Client: Koto Architecture Lab Inc

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #172637

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The Design

About Merci Cafetería

Merci es una cafetería con plantas construida en un entorno rural entre dos ciudades. La cafetería está rodeada de carreteras y se asoma a pintorescas vistas del campo. Los métodos de construcción en madera y los cálculos estructurales avanzados permiten amplios techos abiertos. Un atrio central abierto aporta unidad a los diversos espacios y llena el interior de luz natural, creando un lugar de descanso a cualquier hora del día. El pavimento está hecho de posos de café reciclados solidificados con cemento, y los muros exteriores emplean materiales naturales. Se sirven ingredientes locales, lo que respalda la circulación regional y a la comunidad circundante.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Merci Cafetería ha ganado el A' Design Award de Bronce, un reconocimiento sumamente prestigioso concedido a diseños sobresalientes que se distinguen por su creatividad, ingenio y astucia. Los ganadores de Bronce son artefactos ampliamente hábiles y sorprendentemente creativos que acreditan la vasta experiencia, imaginación e ingeniosidad de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Merci Cafetería sea un objeto muy apreciado, admirado y querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora las mejores prácticas del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología, y es excelente por su atención al detalle. Merci Cafetería satisface espléndidamente las necesidades, toca los deseos, encanta los sentimientos y atrae la curiosidad.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This is a plant cafe where you can enjoy scenic rural views. It values nature and utilizes its facility surrounded by roads to create a space filled with natural light, making it a relaxing environment at any time of the day. The open atrium brings unity to the diverse spaces. Additionally, we focus on using more natural materials to create a sophisticated atmosphere.
Tags: cafe,regional circulation, nature,universality, coexistence
Production Technology: The building was constructed using wooden construction methods. Advanced structural calculations were employed, making extensive use of open ceilings. The finishing materials included flooring made from recycled products of coffee grounds solidified with cement, and the outer walls used natural materials, resulting in a sustainable building.
Research: In this architecture, the most important thing is a space for creating a new and nostalgic future that blends in with the community. We aimed for a space that maximizes the goodness of the area while being able to design for the future.
Inspiration: The idea was to build a peaceful structure in the countryside that connects the two cities.
Amidst the aging population and depopulation, it was crucial to support the local cycle and create a landscape loved by the community.
Project Duration: We will continue to expand, starting with Okayama City in 2024. We aim to open multiple stores in the future.
Operation Flow: This building is a cafe open to the local community, and a space that aims to promote local circulation. It aims to be an indigenous land that uses local ingredients. It also has an eye on inbound tourism, as a place where people can enjoy sightseeing at traditional Japanese facilities that are a tourist resource for the region.
Team Members: sen ko home
Image Credits: photo:Iku Asanuma