Winner: Bar and cafe interior of the year 2025. UNC Studio has designed the interiors of Challe, a cafe located in Kyoto, Japan.

Challe is a fusion of Japanese and Mexican concepts, serving coffee, tacos and churros.

This cafe is an old wooden house that has been reused without dismantling, leaving most of the pillars, beams and other structural elements intact.

The deep red paint mixed with persimmon tannin and benjira, applied to all ceilings, walls, pillars and beams, fuses the historical Japanese architecture with the Mexican atmosphere, giving the space a unique depth.

The visual continuity created by the atrium encourages interactive communication between the first-floor counter and the second-floor seating area.

Judges comments: "The design language of this project is very rich. It's a masterclass in how to create an atmosphere with very little intervention. The designers worked hard to weave their pattern through the existing building fabric, doing little but doing it very well."

Studio: UNC Studio
Project: Challe