Yoffee Cafe
Pivot door in translucent polycarbonate blurs the boundaries between the inside and the street
“We are going to open a cafe at the SGH, can you help us to design and build it in 2 months?”
The project was commissioned a week before rumour of a full lockdown in Kuching due to the pandemic. We were quite amused by our client’s adventurous spirit especially one involving a non-franchised F&B outlet.
A simple serving counter is also a stage for the staff
Needless to say, the budget wast tight and the deadline even tighter compounded by the closure of factories, limited materials supply due to warehouse closure, restrictions on the number of workmen, and even travel restrictions from one place to another.
The semi-open nature of the cafe blends well into the food mall
The cafe is located in a small food mall near the Sarawak General Hospital. The target customers for the cafe would be the medical staff from the hospital, and we wanted to provide an escape for them during their meal breaks. The translucent screens pivot open to filter daylight and ventilation into the cafe, creating a dreamy ambiance in the pastel themed interiors.
The pink neon signage adds a punch to the pastel interiors
The door panels are also a backdrop for the menu
The pastel colors of the cafe was in part influenced by the colours of their specialty yoghurt drinks, and an attempt to soothe and calm the tension of the lockdown. The layout is a functional open plan with about 75% for the dining space and the rest for operations.
Our belief that good ambience and good food brings good mood to people, appears to work very well in this little project.
Text by the architect
PROJECT GALLERY