Kurasu’s first store in China is located at Shenzhen Bay MixC Phase II, a vibrant commercial and lifestyle hub that fosters everyday coffee culture in the neighborhood. The design vision is to create a community living room—an everyday space for visitors to stop by, gather, and connect. The design introduces an “inner and outer eaves” concept, inspired by the pitched roofs in both Japanese machiya townhouses and Shenzhen’s vernacular fishing settlements.
The “outer eaves,” shaped as a sloped matte corrugated metal canopy, continues the surrounding facade language while providing gentle shade. Outwardly, it becomes a canvas for the play of light and shadow; inwardly, it compresses the perceived scale, cultivating a slower, more intimate spatial atmosphere. The “inner eaves” are lighter and subtly lifted above the bar, suggesting the coffee counter as a stage for pour-over rituals. These “dual eaves” establish a spatial hierarchy, reminiscent of “a house within a house.”
The interior layout follows a clear zoning strategy, with a secondary entrance separating active and quiet zones. Coffee, baking, and retail are interwoven into a cohesive setting, fostering a community hub that balances operational efficiency with unhurried stays.
The generous 5.8-meter ceiling height opens up broader spatial possibilities. On the ground floor, the entrance, espresso bar, and pour-over bar define a dynamic zone, guiding a fluid sequence of ordering, brewing, and pickup. Rather than a typical linear counter, the design introduces a looped bar at the center, turning coffee preparation into an open, shared experience—where the tools, rituals, and aromas of hand brewing unfold into an immersive, interactive scene.
Inspired by the imagery of savoring coffee amid dappled shade, the material palette creates a subtle interplay between cool and warm tones. The exterior is clad in matte corrugated metal, while the interior features timber, handmade brick, limestone, and Tyvek—imbuing the space with tactile and visual depth. Caramel, wood, and black leather define the furniture palette, evoking the earthy hues of soil and coffee beans. Woven pieces, lacquerware, and ikebana vessels introduce a Japanese sensibility at an intimate scale, creating a warm, relaxed atmosphere akin to a living room.
The lowered, gently sloping external eaves echo the surrounding trees, softening the boundary between interior and exterior. Outdoor seating extends into a landscape of water features and street trees, inviting guests to pause unhurriedly beneath the outer eaves, where coffee and everyday community life intertwine seamlessly.
Team:
Project name: Kurasu, MixC Shenzhen Bay
Client: Kurasu
Design studio: Atelier L
Lead designers: Dake Li, Nan Lei
Design team: Longwei Zhuang, Wenfeng Luo, Zhaohong Wu, Shuping Zhang (model making), Changxin Li (drawing representation)
On-site design support: Zhaohong Wu
Interior construction: King Sun Design
Facade construction: Beijing Million Partner Construction Company Limited
Curtain wall consulting: Youzhao Zheng (RINRO)
Lighting consulting & fabrication: GAMMA
FF&E consulting: SHEXIA SPACE DESIGN
Photography: Jin Weiqi, Zhaoming Fan
