Amid Nagoya’s vibrant Sakae district, Blue Bottle Coffee's latest cafe, crafted meticulously by Keiji Ashizawa Design, elegantly blurs the line between interior charm and architectural grandeur.
Nestled in the Chunichi Building—a freshly minted landmark destined to redefine the area's urbanscape—the cafe gracefully engages with its environment, incorporating panoramic views of Hisaya-odori Park into its design language.
Ashizawa's intuitive spatial approach thoughtfully accommodates the diverse rhythms of city dwellers. The space is segmented by three expansive gates, each framing distinct seating arrangements—from individual seats tailored for contemplative solitude, to intimate sofas suited for couples, and communal areas designed with families in mind. The result is a sophisticated equilibrium between public openness and private comfort, each gate creating a vivid, framed vista that encapsulates moments of urban life.
Anchored by the poetic theme of "Authentic & Cute," the interior palette is warmed by delicate shades of blush-hued tiles from OLIVE BRICK, a manufacturer renowned in Gifu Prefecture for artisanal excellence. Echoing the nuanced hues of cherry blossoms under changing light, the tiles shift gracefully from fresh pastel pinks in daylight to softly glowing warmth at dusk, lending the cafe an ever-evolving visual character.
The artisanal sensibility continues through bespoke furnishings created in collaboration with Karimoku Furniture, a revered Aichi Prefecture brand synonymous with contemporary elegance. New coffee tables and handcrafted pendant lights fashioned from local Mino pottery seamlessly unite regional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Notably, the ceramic signage—a novel iteration of Blue Bottle Coffee’s iconic branding—further underlines the project's commitment to locality and craft.
Though undeniably an interior endeavor, Ashizawa’s design achieves a commanding presence that reads as architectural, merging seamlessly with Nagoya’s cityscape. The robust tiled pillars and beams emphasize structural clarity, harmonizing urban strength with refined intimacy.
