Chocolatier Carol Gancia brings her Philippino heritage to her chocolate. And we knew the space for her first brick and mortar store needed to be just as delectably different as the treats themselves. So, we delved into the structure of the cocoa bean – from its core, up through the layers surrounding, to the branches from which it is plucked.
Inspired by the complexity of this raw ingredient, we designed an intricate space, layered with interaction points and wayfinding cues. A wave of seating winds organically around the perimeter, counter space lets visitors interact with the chocolate-making process, and further space encourages blissing out under the spell of the cocoa bean with its South East Asian twist.
We believe the best design comes from asking questions, creating conversation, and challenging assumptions. We go deep with our clients – meeting, sharing, sketching, and meeting again – so that the spaces we design are full of story and meaning.
For Kokak Chocolates, we took inspiration from the structure of the cocoa bean and the process of becoming chocolate and cocoa powder. We took cues from the bean's core structure and the colors associated with the plant and its beans. Our first step during this exploration was to deconstruct the cocoa bean structure, which includes multiple layers over the main core of the bean and how the bean is connected to the branches of the tree and the tree itself. The result was an inspiration of layering and the idea of layering and bringing in different layers of color, texture, and materials starting from the exterior facade into the interior, with the kitchen metaphorically acting as the core.
We found inspiration in natural earth-tones - like in the chocolate plant and materials found in South East Asia (Philippines), where the client is from. This resulted in a variety of and light colors, wood tones, and plants to create a warm and inviting environment within a particularly small space. Since the product is colorful and fun, we also wanted to bring in curves, and a "pop" feel that is found in traditional chocolate shops throughout the world.
