Coffee Bar

Refreshed, a coffee bar on the top floor of a mid-rise office building, is a whimsical oasis that serves hundreds of employees by providing a place for relaxation, socialization, and caffeine. Encapsulating a scavenger hunt experience within a classical library setting, guests are encouraged to engage the space through ubiquitous, discoverable moments.

The existing clerestory was fully integrated into the redesigned space, flooding the area with natural light, and further expressing the aspirational and relaxing nature of the coffee bar. Approaching the entrance, a whirlwind of circulating paper held in suspended animation serves as a spectacle over the space.

Location
Redwood, CA

Expertise
Interior Design, Experiential Design, Research, Sustainability

Other Services
Tenant Improvements

Photography
Marco Zecchin

Partners
Media-Objectives
CBRE
NOVO Contruction
HLB Lighting Design
Degenkolb
United Mechanical Inc.
Sprig
Charles M Salter Associates
Landmark Kitchen Design

Pulling away from the installation, double height, maple-finished bookshelves create a warm backdrop to the rich, complementary color palette, highlighted by pops of blue that provide a visual punch and connection to the outdoors as seen through the clerestory openings. Tucked behind the central seating area, a quiet heads-down space reveals a plethora of card catalogs and lounge furniture.

Unique to the Coffee Bar is the experience of ‘discoverable moments’. Visitors transcend into their own real life mystery and are encouraged to solve a series of riddles that unlock a secret vault hidden within the coffee bar. The journey begins with a framed poem sitting between the mug wall and servery counter. Behind the mug wall, hundreds of blue colored pencils line the surface in reference to John Steinbeck, a California author known for writing exclusively in pencil. Another clue can be found within the card catalogs and books, where visitors can open drawers or pages and discover bespoke miniature art sculptures.