atelier huge: ecru cafe and bar

‘ecru’ cafe and bar by atelier huge in fukuoka, japan all images courtesy atelier huge photographer: toshihisa ishii

japanese architect hajime mizutani of atelier huge has sent us images of ‘ecru’, a small specialty cafe and bar in central fukuoka, japan. restricted to a narrow site, the design takes total advantage of its interface with the street and creates a ‘mini-theatre’ in the middle of the city

(left) table (right) signage

with the intention of turning the customers into ‘actors’, the cafe/bar features a glazed face that puts on display the activities of the inside for the city to see. the backdrop of the space is clad in OSB plywood in order to create dimension with its rough texture.

while small and simple, the organization of the space is made to promote an intimate yet unconstricted atmosphere. wooden table surfaces cantilever from the walls to eliminate unnecessary waste of space. the fake drop ceiling provides storage overhead while scaling down the space to a more personal level.

looking from the bar

looking towards the bar

floor plan