As we come out of the pandemic, many companies are thinking about the future of work and what it takes to provide a welcoming office environment. This confidential client decided to develop Refreshed, a coffee bar on the top floor of their mid-rise office building. This whimsical oasis serves hundreds of employees by providing a place for relaxation, socialization, and caffeine.
The newly renovated Coffee Bar, a collaborative design between our architectural, interiors and Media-Objectives studios, aims to initiate moments of discovery and spontaneous collaboration, reflective of the company’s product. A California Trail Blazers theme found throughout the rest of the building is incorporated into Refreshed through material finishes and discoverable moments. The space was designed to mimic the experience of a classic library and nods to a collective, encyclopedic knowledge concept. An existing terrace and clerestory were fully integrated into the redesigned space, flooding the area with natural light, and further expressing the aspirational and relaxing nature of the coffee bar.
Approaching the Refreshed entry, visitors are met with a custom wall covering of enlarged rolled paper that eases them into the space. The installation subtly introduces visitors to literary themes found throughout the rest of the coffee bar, and plays on the concept of the turning of a page, acting as a transition between the office atmosphere and calming coffee bar experience.
Beyond the entry threshold, a whimsical installation of circulating pages, designed in collaboration with Yellow Goat Design, draws people in and continues the concept of encyclopedic knowledge that the company is based upon. This installation swirls sheets of U.S. patent drawings and scientific journal writings into a fantastic whirlwind of knowledge. Climbing up through the clerestory, the installation presents differently from every angle and acts as a “wow moment” upon entering the coffee bar.
The muted color palette was chosen to enhance the relaxing tone of the space. Bookshelves throughout the space are in a maple wood finish, creating a warm backdrop to the rich color palette, highlighted by pops of blue that provide a visual punch and connection to the outdoors as seen through the clerestory openings. Moments of oranges and yellow, seen in the servery, clerestory installation, and quiet zone, add to the warmth of the space while also energizing the grounded palette. Surrounding the clerestory installation the space opens up to double height bookshelves that extend from floor to ceiling, similarly to that of a historic library. Blue finished apertures within these bookshelves break up the rigidity of the shelves while also connecting visitors to the blue sky above and allow daylight to filter into the space. Fluid forms and stepped seating undulate in and out of the double height walls, incorporating a more biophilic, fluid language to contrast the rigidity of these bookshelves and provide a soothing sensation.
A mug wall adjacent to the clerestory and central seating further connects to the concept of shared, collective knowledge. The display allows users to grab their personal mug to reduce waste while incorporating a sense of discovery in the Coffee Bar experience. Hundreds of blue colored pencils line the back face of the Mug Wall, strengthening the punch of the color palette and nodding to the California trail blazers theme in their reference to John Steinbeck, a California author known for writing exclusively in pencil.
To the right of the central seating sits the quiet nook area. Escaping the noise and bustle of the main space, this area encourages more heads down, individual work. Card catalog drawers were used to carry out historic library themes. These catalogs invite users to open drawers and discover a world of information within, while darker finishes and muted earth tones create a focused, calming atmosphere. Framed archival prints from famous Californians such as Ray Bradbury and Neil Armstrong tie in with the California Trail Blazers theme and provide a visual connection to the literary nature of the space.Unique to this Coffee Bar is the ‘discoverable moments’ experience. Hidden within the card catalog and within the books scattered throughout, similar to a scavenger hunt, visitors can find small clues, created in collaboration with Eunoia Modern, that reference the California trail blazers theme. These clues then lead to a secret hidden vault, where visitors can unlock the key to the encyclopedic knowledge.
