Architects and interior designers in 2024 continued to expand the boundaries — both physical and literal — in the cafe category, where the design language is constantly evolving to meet trends in quality, service and consumption.
DCN featured dozens of new cafes in our ongoing Design Details series, which highlights some of the most interesting work being done in coffee shop architecture and interior design throughout the world.
From a retro-futuristic sunset in Paris to the affogato-inspired curves of a neighborhood cafe in Mumbai, designers carved new shapes and forms throughout the coffee landscape, almost always with the intent to connect people more deeply to their coffee and their surrounding communities.
Continuing DCN’s 2024 Year in Review, here’s a look at some of the most inspired projects featured in 2024. For all the latest coffee shop news, subscribe to the DCN Newsletter.
Design Details: A Petit Le Café Coffee in Midtown Manhattan
New York-based firm IMC Architecture led the design of the 300-square-foot coffee shop, which occupies a tight space that formerly served as a package delivery room… read more
mages courtesy of IMC Architecture.
Design Details: Brewing Reinvented at Ula Cafe in Melbourne
Inside the former Yorkshire Brewery Tower in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Collingwood is ULA Café, designed to seamlessly blend old and new… read more
Peter Clarke Photography. Courtesy of SuiL.
Design Details: The Wood Panels of Boobun Pocket Café in Thailand
The project involved the reuse of wood cut to various sizes, including wood panels on the exterior and interlocking wooden platforms that form counters and seating areas on the upper floors… read more
Chamaiphorn Lamaiphan & Santi Aramwibul. Courtesy photo.
Design Details: Best in Glass at MOUT Venlo in the Netherlands
Through the vision of Rotterdam-based firm Buro Moon, the building has recently been transformed from an inward enclosure to an inviting park pavilion that embraces the surrounding city park landscape… read more
Photo by Melanie Samat, courtesy of Buro Moon.
Design Details: Little Red Accents at Julius in Kazakhstan
A bright red La Marzocco Strada espresso machine provided the colorful starting point for the architectural and interior design of Julius, a small but quality-focused specialty coffee shop in Kazakhstan… read more
Photo by Damir Otegen, courtesy of NAAW.
Design Details: Energizing Creativity at MadCoffee in Monterrey, Mexico
Dubbed “The Creative Room” by Monterrey-based design firm Madarq Studio — which led the design of the coffee shop within its own offices — the concept was inspired both by specialty coffee culture and design culture… read more
Photo by Inu Lee, courtesy of Madarq Studio.
Design Details: Land and Sea at Seven Island Coffee in Busan
Located on Gadeokdo Island off the south coast of Busan, South Korea, a cafe complex called Seven Island Coffee recently opened, reflecting other small surrounding islands… read more
Photo by Yongjoon Choi, courtesy of mttb.
Design Details: Looking to the Future at 2050 Coffee in Kyoto
According to TEKI Design, the Hiroshima-based firm that led the design, the new shop responds to the “2050 coffee problem,” recognizing the fact that “we may not be able to enjoy coffee as we do today due to various factors such as climate change and labor conditions.”… read more
Photo by Kenta Hasegawa, courtesy of TEKI.
Design Details: Country Pops Up in the City at Cycle Cycle in China
The overall form of the cafe was inspired by rural structures, referencing straw barn-like sheds used for resting that are typical in the region’s countryside. The wooden structure features shading board on the front and stacks of grain sacks as the facade.. read more
Courtesy photo by F.O.G. Architecture (Lei Ronghua, Xiong Aijie).
Design Details: A Futuristic Retro Sunset at Café Nuances in Paris
Color gradations on the walls and floor work to draw the eye to the stainless steel bar counter, backed by orange lacquered shelves that have become a signature element within Café Nuances shops… read more
Image courtesy of Uchronia.
Design Details: The Croissant Curves of French Kitsch III in Thailand
For the third location of the French-style patisserie and cafe French Kitsch in Northern Thailand, the firm Torch Architect leaned into the name with numerous historic and modern cultural touches… read more
Photo by Metipat Prommomate, Anan Naruphantawa. Courtesy of Touch Architect.
Design Details: White in Black at WE Coffee in São Paulo
Located in a shopping center in the eastern part of São Paulo, the Analia Franco location of We Coffee is organized around a tall, winding table that extends towards the service counter at the back of the store… read more
Photo by Pedro Kok, courtesy of JPG.ARQ.
Design Details: The Art of Affogato in Mumbai
Soft curves and swirls of gelato inspired the design of Affogato, a small coffee shop in Mumbai, India, that serves both espresso and gelato. The project was further inspired by the small subterranean art galleries of the Lower East Side in New York City… read more
Photo by Syam Sreesylam, courtesy of kaviar:collaborative.
Design Details: Calming Grids at WatchHouse Coffee in London
The firm used the flexible nature of the space to explore intricate connections between coffee making and the customer experience, attempting to create something “beautiful and inviting” while also being “highly functional.”… read more
Photo by Ståle Eriksen, courtesy of EBBA.
Design Details: Rustic Resurgence at Camel Step in Hail, Saudi Arabia
Camel Step Head of Design Faris Alosaimi led the project, which required balancing the preservation of a neglected building’s historic essence while incorporating modern and functional design elements… read more
Photo by Mansor Alsofi, courtesy of Faris Alosaimi.
Design Details: Suspended Trees at Multilevel LAPH Cafe in Vietnam
When renovating the two lower floors of an existing house to create the LAPH Cafe in Hue City, Vietnam, the design firm 3fconcept set out to combine the humble style of Café-Cóc with a more classic and luxurious vibe, creating spaces that cater to a diverse range of customers… read more
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hieu, courtesy of 3fconcept.
Design Details: The Dynamic Coffee Installation at BeanRoom in Taipei
Taipei-based firm Waterfrom led the design, employing the concept of “product as decoration” through a series of simple racks with hinges to hold bagged, roasted coffees, each given a different color to signify tasting notes… read more
Photo by Studio Millspace, courtesy of Waterfrom Design.
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