Dezeen Magazine

Schemata Architects creates basswood-lined interior for Blue Bottle Coffee

Plywood panels are used to conceal storage and serving hatches inside this Tokyo coffee shop by Schemata Architects.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Schemata Architects was brought on board to design the interiors for Blue Bottle Coffee's fourth Japanese store.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Located in the lively Roppongi area of Tokyo, the shop is on a back street away from the the busy main road.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

It faces a concrete public plaza and a small park filled with shrubs and plants, and is set behind a completely glass facade.

"Our design is based on our vision of a cafe staying beside the plaza and quietly embracing the environment," said the architects.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Inside, the cafe is lined with panels of basswood plywood, which brings warmth and colour to the otherwise stark white and concrete space.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Some of the plywood panels are used to conceal storage cupboards, while others slide open to reveal serving hatches.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

"The entire walls are composed of regular repetition of wall cabinets with doors, while the strict regularity is moderated by inserting irregular grids of frames encasing several doors."

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Small tables set by the windows can accommodate small parties, while larger groups can sit around a high-level table towards the back of the cafe.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Schemata, which was founded by architect Jo Nagasaka in 1998, often opts for the minimal approach when designing interiors and furniture pieces.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects

Its most recent projects include a Japanese eyewear store with a deconstructed interior and a minimal fashion boutique that is framed by a gigantic glass window.

Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects
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Blue Bottle Coffee Roppongi by Schemata Architects
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