Takeda Katsuya, a Japanese designer who has lived and worked in Milan for over twenty years, has recently been involved in the design of the first exclusive Geshary coffee shop in central Tokyo, just a few steps from the Royal Palace.
The project – which encompasses a five-storey building – aims to offer an immersive experience in rooms that tell the story of Geisha coffee, one of the world’s best and finest coffee varieties in terms of aroma and taste.
“Taste Different” is the claim behind the philosophy of Geshary, whose desire was to create a coffee shop for a varied clientele that could appreciate the quality of coffee from the designed environments, where people can stop and stay for daily moments of conviviality. Geshary Coffee is now a landmark and meeting place for coffee lovers in Tokyo.
The Coffee Shop is designed according to the concept of ‘Coffee Heaven’ and each floor represents the way coffee is produced from plantation to cup. Underlying the design concept developed by the studio is a clear objective, that of elevating and emphasising the value and high quality of Geisha coffee through a unique atmosphere that intrigues visitors and invites them to enter.
The Takeda Katsuya studio has come up with a brand identity design consisting of five different concept declinations, each one eclectic and original, recalling the history and stages of coffee production, from sowing to harvesting and grinding. The result is the result of careful study and travel to coffee plantations in Costa Rica at an altitude of 1,300 metres.
Each floor has its own distinct design in the choice of materials, colours, shapes and furnishings with strong references to the land that have been interpreted and transported into the interior design. The main materials used in the project are terrazzo marble, parquet wood, glass and metal.
On the ground floor where the entrance is located, the environment is characterised by a design that narrates the “Terroir”, i.e. the set of characteristics that govern each crop, such as latitude, altitude, soil type, climate and sunlight.
Guests are welcomed by a long counter displaying coffee products in green marble, which serves as a cash desk for orders and reservations, as if it were the terrace of the plantation. The white stone flooring has inserts that recall the coffee bean. A distinctive element of the entrance is the ceiling and the presence of a white metal dividing paneling, which metaphorically depicts the great waterfall in Costa Rica.
Going up to the first floor, the design transports the client to the cultivation field where the predominant colour is the green of the coffee plants. In the design, this image has been interpreted through the study of a ceiling that conveys the effect of “shades of tree” thanks to the insertion of a metal grid that creates an effect of light and shade.
The flooring is an inlay of parquet that recalls the earth and fallen leaves. Characterising the environment is a large wall with a video wall illustrating the story of the sowing and harvesting of coffee. The furnishings, all custom-made by Japanese manufacturers and companies, recall the shapes of the coffee bean.
The second floor recalls the fermentation phase where single, long tables predominate. The choice of these is precisely linked to the fact that during the fermentation phase the beans are placed and sorted on a long table, called the “African bed”. This practice was the inspiration behind the ambience for which long custom-made tables were chosen, made of marble with red and orange glass inlays linked to variations in the colour of the grain. The flooring is rough parquet wood to create a feeling of movement and the ceiling is metal.
The third floor recalls the roasting process. The colours change, burgundy predominates and a predominant wall plays with the materials. The third floor represents the Roastery Lab, which enhances the unique character of the Geisha’s floral aroma.
The fourth floor is dedicated to the production phase and was conceived as a ‘coffee room’ based on the traditional Japanese ‘tea room’. It is an exclusive space, closed to the public, intended for private visits to try the coffee and for the sale of the product. Characterising the environment is a cosy layout, with armchairs and seats dedicated to the experience.
Each floor can be accessed via stairs characterised by the distinctive blue colour of the Geshary brand.
The bathroom areas on each floor also pick up on the colour theme of the floor and where materials such as wood and metal predominate.
The Takeda Katsuya studio in the Coffee Shop Geshary project wanted to best represent in design the company’s mission, which is to provide the best cup of coffee to its customers, creating a first flagship coffee shop in a larger project to develop a chain.
For more information visit www.takedakatsuyadesign.com.
CREDITS
Project: Geshary Coffee Shop
Studio: Takeda Katsuya
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Photo: 2019
