lue Bottle Coffee, the Nestle-owned American coffee chain, has entered Osaka with a trendy look designed by Tokyo-based studio, I In.
Customers entering the store are welcomed by an open space filled with the essence of warm wood and bright light through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In contrast with the wooden floor, the barista’s drip station is made of hairline polished stainless steel, resembling a stage.
“I thought it would be great if the store could make the series of things that the barista makes and give to customers the most shining, so I lit up the area of the drip station where the barista stands and made it shine like a stage,” said Yohei Terui, founding partner at I In, who is also in charge of designing the store.
Throughout the cafe, special blue glass, inspired by Blue Bottle’s signature colour, is used to highlight the brand’s message. A coffee-coloured spherical glass chandelier is installed throughout the atrium at the staircase area leading to the second floor.
Different from the ground floor, the upper floor is dominated by white-coloured materials. Centrestage is a special area stimulating the five senses of visitors. Customers sitting in this area will encounter a sensory experience where music and images, created in collaboration with Panoramatiks, ‘fall’ from the ceiling.
“It is not just a concept, but a place that really stimulates the five senses of humans,” the design studio described.