Osaka Castle's Golden Tea Room informs interiors of Blue Bottle Coffee Shinsaibashi
Architecture studio Keiji Ashizawa Design looked to Osaka Castle's triangular forms and the shape of the city's Tsutenkaku Tower when designing the latest Blue Bottle Coffee cafe in Osaka, Japan.
Located in Osaka's busy Shinsaibashi area, the studio aimed to offer visitors a peaceful place to visit when it designed the cafe.
"Blue Bottle Coffee asked us to create 'an oasis in the city'," architect Keiji Ashizawa told Dezeen.
"In the energetic and diverse district of Shinsaibashi, we wanted to design a space where people can take a brief pause from their busy daily lives and discover moments of calm through a cup of good coffee," he continued.
The 120-square-metre interior of the coffee shop features simple exposed concrete walls, which contrast with the wood and washi paper used for the coffee shop's furniture and lighting.
"The existing structure had a strong concrete character, and we wanted to preserve that honesty," Ashizawa said. "By leaving the concrete exposed, the interior maintains continuity with the exterior."
"The contrast and harmony between concrete, wood, brass, and washi create a subtle balance between tension and calm – between the city and nature," he continued.
In creating Blue Bottle Coffee Shinsaibashi, Ashizawa drew on local design features from Osaka itself, including the Golden Tea Room at Osaka Castle
These included adding splashes of gold and brass, which were used throughout the cafe.
"Brass was used for the coffee counter, gold-painted steel for the pendant lights, and subtle golden touches were added to the wall louvres and door handles," the designer said.
"Inspired by the historical Golden Tea Room of Osaka Castle, these accents bring a quiet sense of elegance and local vibrancy to the interior."
Osaka Castle and another local structure, the eight-sided steel-beam Tsutenkaku Tower, also informed the custom-made furniture and lighting in the cafe.
"The triangular forms seen in Osaka Castle are reflected in the wall louvres and the washi paper lamps, while the octagonal shape of Tsutenkaku Tower inspired the tabletops and pendant light shades," Ashizawa explained.
"By using polygonal forms throughout, including the coffee counter, we created a rhythmic yet cohesive atmosphere within the space."
The studio aimed for the interior of the latest outpost from the global coffee chain to also reflect local Japanese culture.
"We chose washi paper to express a sense of Japanese identity in a natural way," Ashizawa said.
"The lamps are made of Echizen washi from Fukui Prefecture, one of Japan's most renowned handmade papers. The soft, diffused light adds depth and calmness to the space, creating a moment of stillness within the lively city."
Other recent projects by Keiji Ashizawa Design on Dezeen include a concrete office that was turned into a Tokyo creative hub and a fine-dining restaurant in Taipei.
The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.
Project credits:
Architect: Keiji Ashizawa Design
Project architect: Keiji Ashizawa, Nanako Inoue
Construction: Space Co, Ltd
Furniture: Karimoku Furniture, Ishinomaki Laboratory
Lighting: Saito Shomei
Lighting plan: Aurora Inc, Yoshiki Ichikawa
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