The Unrefined Charm
Project Info
Location: To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong
Area: 800 sqft.
Category: F&B
Completion: 2022 Jan
Photography: Gary Chung & Derek Chan
Ooo is a café located in To Kwa Wan, one of the down-to-earth areas in Kowloon. The unpretentious design of the shop is cohering to the core idea of the café. Ooo stands for “out of office”, which aims to be a place for chill-out after-work.
The neighbourhood is a calm and undisturbed residential area where clustered with a few motor-repairing garages. Situated at the corner of the street, the café joined 3 shops together. With this open and ample space, the designer adopted industrial style with concrete, red bricks and metal as the key elements, and created an authentic, natural and relaxed ambience. To enhance the leisure style, most all the folding doors can be fully opened, not only connecting the indoor and outdoor, but also allowing interaction with the neighbourhood and pedestrians. Ooo Café is a pet-friendly restaurant where customers can enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee with their friends and pets to unwind themselves after a day of hustle.
The café is divided into 3 zones: low-seating area, bar counter seating and high-seating private corner. The low-seating area is set at the outline of the shop with casual camper seats; when the black framed sliding doors are opened, the customers instantly immerse into a boundless and soothing environment. The red-brick bar counter is tailored for the coffee-lovers for them to interact with the baristas. The high-seating private corner is set in the inner part of the shop where customers can have an intimate talk with their friends or enjoy a private time. In the café, everyone can find a spot to suit their moods
As the one and only café in this area, the industrial design undoubtedly stands out from the quiet neighbourhood. On the other hand, the raw and unrefined design language is embedded to the surroundings, as if a part of the neighbourhood.
To see or to be seen, the designer’s task is to build an optimal relationship between the project and the community, so as to create a harmonious ambience.
======================
LOT Architects
T│3709 7590
W│www.lotarchitects.com
FB IG LK│Lot Architects