Ah-chu is gelato and churros serving dessert café. Clients have requested us (Wanderlust) to make unique space design of Ah-chu so that customers do not get bored even in waiting for their orders in café. Ah-chu site has targeted Gimpo Hangangdosi under consideration of residents in the area who are young families and their children. We should proceed with space design under consideration of abovementioned two target groups. So how should we proceed with space design to make a successful appeal to those adults and children? After starting the space design planning, we have decided to approach adult and children targets by making appeal to their childhood emotions.

The childhood emotions of adults are past memories. The childhood emotions of children, on the other hand, are present time. We have found out that the imagination is one of the best suited space design concept to stimulate inner childhood emotions of adults and stimulate energetic childhood emotions of children at the same time. Based on this concept, we have created the space design under stories of “Invitation to the special place for sweet dessert,” and “the place for sweet imagination.”

The façade of Ah-chu have been designed to make association with a place for dessert-the Dessert Kingdom. The façade was painted with white color in contrast with colorful design of inside café and the bottom of façade was completed with white and black tiles. White mood have been expressed by bare light and indirect illumination along with wall lights to catch customers’ eyes.
Gelato ice cream and churros shape applied main signboard have been installed at the top part of the café to make initial appeal to customers and the signboard is visible to the bottom side of the café to create unique identity of Ah-chu so that people can imagine about this place from the café façade.

Display furniture visible from the main entrance has been planned to welcoming atmosphere to the Desert Kingdom for guests. A soldier doll, who welcomes guests, makes the imagination concept and emotional design of the space more powerful with its funny simple and honest face expression. Displayable 2 stage tray formed furniture is movable and fixable by its bottom fixture stopper.

We have focused on creating visually effective counter design as the pick-up zone is considered one of the spaces with frequent guests flow and sale. We created design to make association with a kitchen in which ice cream and churros are made. We planned the design to create actual churros making process as if churros coming out from dough machine in bending shape by pressing joystick and button. Lights to be installed to express churros making completion process from an oven and design has been made to create association with the oven. Showcase, in which colorful gelato and ice cream to be displayed, is expressed with objet and punch to beat machine sensitivity of the showcase. Kitchen has been completed by changing the shape of its cabinet and handle in funny way. In addition, displayable cabinets have been designed easily openable.

Whole space have been painted with pastel tone pink and blue, white color to express brightness. Dynamic atmosphere has been added to the space by using diagonal stripe pattern to pillar of the café and staff room. Main wall design has been created by graphic of KING and QUEEN circle frame as they are mascot of Ah-chu kingdom. Ah-chu neon sign of “remember the happiest memory make you happy” is the ultimate message of designer to make guests remember that their happy memories make them happy.

Design : wanderlust / Jang Hyun-ju, Han Hye-soo
Construction : wanderlust / Jang Hyun-ju, Han Hye-soo
Photo : Lee Jae-sang