Peculiar Invitation of Nature within a Wall
"When the common norm―especially for a coffeehouse―is to achieve a glamorous facade, we thought it's best to cut off the facade altogether, make the building seem to disappear." Said Alhamdamar Mudafiq, design principal of MADs + Partner. "Just wrap the valuable thing about the site, which is the kebon jambu (rose-apple orchard) below. It's what we want to show and be framed as a statement."
The Hollow Facade is a project with two spatial factors. One is to utilise the potential of an existing kebon jambu below, and second is to place the building within a shop house culture surrounding the area. It creates a spatial threshold connecting the contrast between a natural landscape and shop houses above, at the outskirts of Jakarta―where the buildings are so dense and the natural landscapes are rare.
The building maximises this liminoid quality by several framing sequences. From the main road, the architect hides the building's facade by slanting a wall exactly to the kebon jambu and choosing grey paint—a common colour to paint the concealed rear part of buildings in Indonesia—to camouflage the building. From a passerby's point of view, it's a peculiar invitation with a simple rectangular preview of nature behind the wall.
Inside, the room is split in two by playing with ceiling heights to signify the different area between intimate and semi-public space. The bar area is higher to avoid narrow feeling, yet the low ceiling of the sitting area is compensated by large windows to give a focal point towards kebon jambu. The mural and furniture also played along with local preference to give a sense of familiarity.
The supporting wall guides the spatial grid, a nod to the golden era of modernism, which the purpose is to frame spectators with various experiences depending on where they sit. The yellow accent paint also touches the similar approach to give a sense of displacement from outside and inside, but still connected by floor-to-ceiling openings.
Peculiar Invitation of Nature within a Wall
"When the common norm―especially for a coffeehouse―is to achieve a glamorous facade, we thought it's best to cut off the facade altogether, make the building seem to disappear." Said Alhamdamar Mudafiq, design principal of MADs + Partner. "Just wrap the valuable thing about the site, which is the kebon jambu (rose-apple orchard) below. It's what we want to show and be framed as a statement."
The Hollow Facade is a project with two spatial factors. One is to utilise the potential of an existing kebon jambu below, and second is to place the building within a shop house culture surrounding the area. It creates a spatial threshold connecting the contrast between a natural landscape and shop houses above, at the outskirts of Jakarta―where the buildings are so dense and the natural landscapes are rare.
The building maximises this liminoid quality by several framing sequences. From the main road, the architect hides the building's facade by slanting a wall exactly to the kebon jambu and choosing grey paint—a common colour to paint the concealed rear part of buildings in Indonesia—to camouflage the building. From a passerby's point of view, it's a peculiar invitation with a simple rectangular preview of nature behind the wall.
Inside, the room is split in two by playing with ceiling heights to signify the different area between intimate and semi-public space. The bar area is higher to avoid narrow feeling, yet the low ceiling of the sitting area is compensated by large windows to give a focal point towards kebon jambu. The mural and furniture also played along with local preference to give a sense of familiarity.
The supporting wall guides the spatial grid, a nod to the golden era of modernism, which the purpose is to frame spectators with various experiences depending on where they sit. The yellow accent paint also touches the similar approach to give a sense of displacement from outside and inside, but still connected by floor-to-ceiling openings.
Peculiar Invitation of Nature within a Wall
"When the common norm―especially for a coffeehouse―is to achieve a glamorous facade, we thought it's best to cut off the facade altogether, make the building seem to disappear." Said Alhamdamar Mudafiq, design principal of MADs + Partner. "Just wrap the valuable thing about the site, which is the kebon jambu (rose-apple orchard) below. It's what we want to show and be framed as a statement."
The Hollow Facade is a project with two spatial factors. One is to utilise the potential of an existing kebon jambu below, and second is to place the building within a shop house culture surrounding the area. It creates a spatial threshold connecting the contrast between a natural landscape and shop houses above, at the outskirts of Jakarta―where the buildings are so dense and the natural landscapes are rare.
The building maximises this liminoid quality by several framing sequences. From the main road, the architect hides the building's facade by slanting a wall exactly to the kebon jambu and choosing grey paint—a common colour to paint the concealed rear part of buildings in Indonesia—to camouflage the building. From a passerby's point of view, it's a peculiar invitation with a simple rectangular preview of nature behind the wall.
Inside, the room is split in two by playing with ceiling heights to signify the different area between intimate and semi-public space. The bar area is higher to avoid narrow feeling, yet the low ceiling of the sitting area is compensated by large windows to give a focal point towards kebon jambu. The mural and furniture also played along with local preference to give a sense of familiarity.
The supporting wall guides the spatial grid, a nod to the golden era of modernism, which the purpose is to frame spectators with various experiences depending on where they sit. The yellow accent paint also touches the similar approach to give a sense of displacement from outside and inside, but still connected by floor-to-ceiling openings.