Architecture studio Kii has designed an ice cream shop on Miyakojima Island, Japan, featuring a pink ceiling, a limestone counter and perforated concrete tiles.

Called SR Ice Cream Miyakojima, the cafe and ice cream shop is located on an island in the southern part of Japan's Okinawa prefecture in the Pacific Ocean.

Its ocean-side setting influenced the interior, which features local materials chosen for their weather resistance.

"On Miyakojima Island, its local residents, new arrivals and tourists coexist and the goal was to create a welcoming environment where people of all backgrounds can simply drop by to enjoy a shared atmosphere over an ice cream or coffee," Kii co-founder Satoshi Arai told Dezeen.

"To withstand Miyakojima's subtropical oceanic climate, materials were also carefully selected to ensure finishes which are both functional and enduring," Arai continued.

The centrepiece of SR Ice Cream Miyakojima is a large, rounded counter made from limestone and with a lime plaster tabletop, around which customers can stand or sit.

Kii worked with an Okinawan plaster specialist to design the counter.

"Work to the counter involves applying rounded lumps of limestone clay – Ryukyu limestone, a local material in Miyakojima – to the counter surface one piece at a time," Kii co-founder Kei Nakatomi told Dezeen.

"The process of applying this material repeatedly creates a layered finish, and allows its unique texture to truly stand out," Nakatomi continued.

"The tabletop was also crafted using the same limestone clay and polished to reveal the material's unique texture."

Kii also inserted a playful arched door in the counter to create easy access for filter maintenance.

Above the central counter, Kii added a curved ceiling designed to draw visitors' attention and make the counter an attraction in itself.

The studio chose a pale pink hue for the ceiling, in response to the natural light of the cafe's surroundings.

"Considering the dramatic shifts in natural light throughout the day on Miyakojima, we tested several options on-site to determine the ideal colour – ultimately selecting this specific shade of pink – to ensure it harmonised with the environment at any time of day or night," Arai said.

The salt air and harsh sunlight on the island influenced Arai and Nakatomi's choice of materials, and the two designers also aimed to showcase artisanal craftsmanship from different regions of Japan.

Apart from the limestone counter, one of the most noticeable materials in the SR ice cream shop is a specific type of concrete brick, which is perforated with holes for typhoon-struck areas.

"In the Okinawa area, where typhoons frequently hit, concrete blocks with holes are in use for architecture," Nakatomi said.

"When considering how to incorporate this unique characteristic of the region as an element that would blend seamlessly into the interior, custom tiles by Tajimi Tiles were selected."

The studio also added cushions woven from Cogon grass, which is native to the island, and colourful glazed stools by NOTA shop in Shigaraki – an old pottery area.

These pastel stools were specially chosen for the ice cream store as they had to be easy to maintain and have a non-directional design to fit under low tables.

"We picked the stool regularly produced by NOTA shop, with an original glazed colour on it," Arai said. "We designed these with the mindset of embracing the unpredictable results over its final appearance, and enjoyed the process of letting the results surprise us."

Kii did have some input into the glazing, as the studio wanted the stools to resemble ice cream that had started to melt.

"We did, however, go through a number of prototypes to fine-tune the glaze, aiming for a colour and texture that's reminiscent of melting ice cream," Arai added.

Overall, the studio said the ice cream shop, which sits on the ground floor of an ocean-side commercial development, has become the type of place that it envisioned when coming up with the design.

"We had heard that many guests would linger or stick around, whilst being engaged with guests inside or outside – just like a community, and as the type of space we had imagined while we had designed it," Nakatomi said.

Other Japanese cafes recently covered on Dezeen include a cafe and brewery on Teshima Island and a Blue Bottle Coffee cafe informed by Osaka Castle.

The photography is by Masanori Kaneshita.