Daodao Coffee locates in the center of Intime City Commercial District in Chengdu. The total area of this two-floor cafe is around 65 square meters. And the designers tried to make it an ideal space to relax. In our opinion, design should start with exact questions, and a good design is one of the answers.

Our question about this project is how to make different customers with diverse needs find their place in this 56-square-meter area with a height of 5.6 meters and a non-natural-light second floor. We tried to solve this problem from the changeability of small spaces and the integration of material and light.

Mental space division is used instead of physical space division to meet the need of bearing multiple activities and avoiding interrelationship. So we chose the furniture up to the requirements to define the space. Woods with warm colors can create a natural and comfortable atmosphere; overlapping dark metal punched panels play a role of rail to partly shield the space and keep the privacy.

These two factors distill a concept – the combination of emotions and reasons in the city. Relatively speaking, the first floor is an open area to provide a place for those tired shoppers to have an afternoon tea and chat with others to chill out. The external bar is designed for those who are waiting for their companions.

Sitting at the bar, customers can enjoy the general view of the square. What’s more, the entrance of Intime city Commercial District is quite close to the bar. A self-service desk is set on the second floor to supply lemonade and various ingredients for free, which naturally forms a quiet working space and a small meeting space.

There is always someone who prefers to sit in the corner. We took this into consideration and designed a crossover. In addition, the ground was lifted a little bit to compress the height and produce a stronger sense of closure. And at the same time, a cozier height is made for the first floor. If you like to be alone, it could belong to only you.

Design: HAD Architects& EPOS
Photographer: Arch-exist Photography