selgascano and curtis su envelop % arabica new york café in handcrafted timber cocoon

Selgascano and Curtis Su Wrap small Café in Curved Timber

Just opposite the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan, New York, Selgascano and Curtis Su Associates carve an immersive café for % Arabica behind a narrow, subterranean storefront. The architects transform the 20-meter-long, 3.7-meter-wide space, sitting one meter below street level, into an enveloping wooden interior, where the architecture folds around the body like a second skin. With a ceiling height of just 2.55 meters, the team embraces the compact proportions, amplifying them through a continuous handcrafted surface that wraps across walls and ceiling like a warm cocoon.

images courtesy of Selgascano and Curtis Su Associates

horizontal counter divides % Arabica new york midtown interior

A 10-meter-long counter that organizes the narrow interior of the % Arabica New York Midtown location, running almost the entire length of the space. This single horizontal element serves to divide the wooden shell into two visual zones. In the area above, Spanish architectural office Selgascano and South Pasadena-based Curtis Su Associates paint the timber white to reflect light and brighten the low ceiling. Below, they retain its natural tone, bringing texture and warmth closer to the body.

The extra layer of wood traces the uneven geometry of the existing structure, smoothing its dips, angles, and quirks.  The curving surfaces were scanned, milled, and coaxed into shape. Curtis Su Associates used 3D scanning to map the existing shell and CNC-cut timber panels into continuous curves. These were combined with GRG (glass-fiber reinforced gypsum) to maintain fluid transitions across corners and ceilings. A large mirror by the entrance helps stretch the perspective and gives passersby a brief, disorienting view into the space.

From the street, very little reveals what’s going on inside. The facade is left mostly untouched, with cracks, patches, and traces of past use still visible. There’s no big sign or formal entrance, just the % Arabica logo, gently placed, marking the entry into an intimate space.

from the street, very little reveals what’s going on inside

Curtis Su Associates used 3D scanning to map the existing shell and CNC-cut timber panels into continuous curves

a 10-meter-long counter organizes the narrow interior

white-painted timber reflects light and brightens the low ceiling

a large mirror by the entrance helps stretch the perspective

integrated wall niches provide designated areas for display

the curving surfaces were scanned, milled, and coaxed into shape

project info:

name: Arabica New York Midtown

architects: Selgascano | @selgascano, Curtis Su Associates | @curtissudesign

location: New York City, US

area: 74 square meters (approx. 20 x 3.7 m, height 2.55 m)

fabrication, installation: Curtis Su Associates

collaborator: Define NY

client: % Arabica | @arabica.journal