The Starbucks Coffee Shop in Fukuoka, Japan, showcases an incredible use of wood, an interesting design approach that is present in many architectural projects of renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and his staff from Kengo Kuma and Associates. This time, they imagined an intriguing yet highly original interior design for the franchise “Starbucks”‘s shop the city of Dazaifu, where you can relax and enjoy a great cup a coffee.
Inspired by another project of them, Prostho Museum Research Center, whose architecture originates from the system of Cidori, an old Japanese toy, Starbucks Coffee’s structure features a never seen before system of weaving thin woods diagonally. The main purpose of building such a structure was to harmonize it with the traditional Japanese buildings in one or two stories found along the main path on one of the most major shrines in Japan.
2,000 stick-like parts in the sizes of 1.3m – 4m length and 6cm section were necessary to make this assembly throughout the coffee shop, four steps come to one point because of the diagonal, resulting in a more complicated joint than in Prostho Museum Research Center. Four wooden sticks were divided in two groups to avoid concentration on a single point, creating in this way a unique shape that is diagonally multiplicated along the walls and ceiling from the entrance to the other end of the shop in order to bring in a sense of direction and fluidity. The method used in designing this structure was taken from the traditional architecture of Japan and China and improved with state-of-the art technology. The result is a cave-like space with simple, minimalist furniture and of course with a predominantly natural wood color palette. Take a look on the pictures below and tell us how do you find it using our comment section.
Photos © Masao Nishikawa
Project details:
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Location: Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Client: Manten Corporation
Structure: Jun Sato Structural Engineering
Facility Design: Tosai Corporation, Kyu-den Ko Corporation
Construction: Matsumoto-gumi Corporation
Purpose: Coffee shop
Total floor area: 210.03 m2
Completion: 2011