Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Two hundred and seventy six teacups are suspended from the ceiling of this coffee shop in Bucharest by Romanian studio Lama Architectura (+ slideshow).

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Origo, by Lama Architectura, is a coffee shop by day and a cocktail bar by night.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

“Our goal was to create a relaxed atmosphere using natural materials and colours, but also to have a little tension using contrasts,” explain the architects.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

A long bar clad with raw metal sheets runs the entire length of the space, topped with a solid oak counter.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Towards the back of the shop the bar is wrapped in a sheet of folded Corten steel.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

A jack allows the bar to be raised from 80 centimetres during the day to 110 centimetres in the evening.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Hundreds of teacups form a cloud of white that appears to hover above the bar, described by the architects as “a very airy, white line; a reinterpretation of the manner that glasses are hung over the bar.”

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Black-painted walls contrast with the wooden rafters above, which were revealed after dismantling the existing plaster ceiling and painted white.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Carefully angled spotlights create dramatic contrasts between light and dark, casting shadows in the shape of giant teacups onto the walls.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Tables throughout the shop are constructed from criss-crossing metal rods and oak tops, while lightbulbs housed in coffee drippers descend from the rafters above.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Earlier this year we featured a steampunk-inspired coffee shop in Cape Town.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Other cafes we’ve recently posted on Dezeen include a cupcakery with a glass house-shaped facade and the cafe within the recently reopened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

See more stories about cafes »

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Photography is by Radu Malasincu.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

Here’s a project description from the architects:


Origo is the answer to the demand of a very passionate barista for a place for himself that should function as a coffee-shop during the day and a cocktail bar during the evenings. We like to think of it as his personal urban living in which we discovered some fantastic, authentic and old wooden beams after dismantling the existing plaster ceiling. We kept them and painted them white.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

After understanding what is important from his point of view for a great coffee moment, we tried to mirror his beliefs and create a space that would allow coffee to be the star. Our goal was to create a relaxed atmosphere using natural materials and colors, but also have a little tension using contrasts (dark grey versus light wood color, wood versus metal).

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

The bar is the main element of the interior (almost over scaled for such a small place) and has a jack that allows it to rise from 80 cm during the day to 110 cm in the evenings. It is finished from raw metal sheets for the front face  and Corten and oak massive wood for the counter top.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura

The massiveness of the bar is contrasting with the 276 cups installation that is floating above, a very aery, white line, an reinterpretation of the manner  that glasses are hanged over the bar.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura
Floor plan – click for larger image

We designed the lighting fixtures having in mind the love for coffee and using coffee drippers. We have also designed the tables especially for this project.

Origo Coffee Shop by Lama Architectura
Cross section – click for larger image

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Phill by Nuca Studio

Phill by Nuca Studio

Customers can leave their children playing downstairs and dine beside a four metre-high model elephant at this Bucharest restaurant.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Recently completed by Romanian designers Nuca Studio, Phill houses its restaurant on the first floor, while a playground, multi-function hall and café occupy the ground level below.

Phill by Nuca Studio

The elephant stands over the central staircase and appears to be listening to music from a painted-on mp3 player and headphones.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Circular openings create colourfully framed views between rooms, allowing parents to keep an eye on their children.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Other Dezeen stories featuring fun play areas include a series of sculptural trees for a high school and a house complete with slides and a ballpond.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Photography is by Cosmin Dragomir.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Here’s some more information from Nuca Studio:


Phill – Playground & Restaurant in Bucharest by Nuca Studio

Phill is a meeting place designed for the entire family. It has a playground, a multipurpose room and a small café at the ground floor and a restaurant at the second level.

Phill by Nuca Studio

The playground and the multipurpose room are enclosed areas with independent light and acoustic scenarios and they accommodate activities from theater and puppet shows to martial arts and ballet lessons.

Phill by Nuca Studio

In between them the small café communicates visually with the playground through a couple of round openings.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Upstairs, the dining area is an open space directly linked with the lobby.

Phill by Nuca Studio

The functions of the program have their own agenda but at the same time they work closely together therefore the connection of the individual spaces was very important.

Phill by Nuca Studio

In order to link these different rooms, the walls were perforated by transparent openings and a special attention was paid to the stairs design which climb their way to the second floor around a 4 meter tall elephant.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Attempting to be appealing to both children and adults the overall design draws its inspiration from vinyl toy and Manga culture, looking to be engaging and to capture the imagination of all visitors.

Phill by Nuca Studio

The exact formal sense of the ceiling’s intricate geometry is open to interpretation as some of the shapes resulted from a meticulous handling of the complicated air duct system alongside the heavy concrete structure.

Phill by Nuca Studio

Project team: Robert Marin, Andrei Rotariu, Mihnea Vieru, Mircea Adrian Mihai


See also:

.

Tokyo Baby Cafe
by Nendo
Restaurant Praq
by Tjep.
Café/day by Suppose
Design Office

Entrance by Square One

Romanian studio Square One have completed a clothing store in Bucharest with pointy display stands and a network of black electrical cables. (more…)