Café LES AMIS, a café specializing French pastry, nestles cozily at the periphery of a park with its shopfront facing a large screen of fresh green. We aim to soften the boundary of interior and exterior space in order to strengthen the interaction between nature and the built artifact.

 

Bring Nature In

Operable folding window and sliding door are applied to maximize the threshold, allowing daylight and fresh air to enter the café. As an extension of greenery into the interior space, a feature wall of rolling pins with small planting pots are set at the most prominent side of the café. Meanwhile, a stripe of wooden band at the lower part of the wall runs all the way from the threshold to the whole café as a skirt that embraces the visitors.

 

 

Bring Program Out

A small set of display shelves is set below the folding windows, showcasing some of the latest products of the café. While the wooden table on top of the shelves can be extended outward, with tall stools placing outside the café, it becomes a counter serving both the users inside and outside. People are invited to enjoy their coffee and desserts both inside and outside the café. The park and café, the nature and people thus become an integral whole.