This mini cafe by TOUCH Design has been dotted with white and orange interwoven terrazzo details in the street of Tianjin, China. 

Named Decade Cafe, the small cafe, made of with hand-made details, is the first coffee shop in Tianjin, "advocating a slow lifestyle with music criticism, music culture and timely products." 

"It tries to depict the island of ideals and soft hearts in the impetuous and fast fast-food life," as the studio highlights. 

Built in a small volume, its white front facade gives the clue of its interiors on what customers will encounter inside. 

Located at No. 93 Chifeng Road of Tianjin, adjacent to the most prosperous Binjiang Road Commercial Street in Tianjin, the cafe is nestled in the very quiet treelined street.

The elegantly selection of materials marks the cafe from afar. In this sense, the architects choice the combination of white and orange terrazzo material, referencing to the unique combination of coffee and music reviews. 

"This made the cafe an instant hit and soon ascended the throne of Tianjin Cafe TOP1," added the firm.

"With the classic and pure white orange terrazzo as the overall visual output focus, through the large glass window and custom white minimalist doors to create a simple and transparent effect, for the long and narrow space to introduce abundant light, while you can get a first glimpse of the internal space level," the studio continued.

"Linear lighting inlaid in a circle of terrazzo is the most striking entrance sign of the cafe." 

"From the outside to the inside, the entrance surrounded by linear lights seems to be an extension of some kind of consciousness, like entering a time tunnel, constantly passing through 10 years ago and 10 years later," added the studio.

Aiming to give an attention to the front façade of the cafe, the architects used a square circle of white and orange interwoven terrazzo, which is spread out on both sides and surrounded by the walls of the old city on both sides, like a new fireworks embedded in the old ribbon, and like a postcard of great foreign style.

"Many people tell us that DECADE is very beautiful after nightfall, illuminating the whole Chifeng Road," the studio added.

While designing the project, the architects explained their design approach in these words: "we constantly thought about how to make such a deep and long, dimly lit streetside shop a clear stream in the coffee industry, so that our design can be valued and maximize the profits of the two clients in the shop."

The architects have retained part of the old top and painted it white to gradually allow customers to enter the core area of the cafe, and at the same time add a sense of love and ritual to the coffee.

"Many people say that the this cafeis like a treasure waiting for music and coffe lovers to open. Mr.Ding, one of the principals of DECADE cafe, has collected more than 30,000 old records and various rare record posters, he joked with us which can be changed into a villa if all of them are sold," the studio added. 

"Therefore, we hope to integrate coffee and culture, art and music through design, with such a unique gift to carry the dreams of two clients."

When customers enter inside, on the left and right sides of the glass door entrance, the customers see old records on the wall, which highlights the owner's taste and also reflects the theme culture of the cafe's music review.

"Next to the door, the sculpture holds a tray, which holds customized coffee cups and surrounding products, highlights the theme culture of the coffee shop," the studio continued. 

Mirrored stainless steel cleverly hides the storage area and forms a visual widening, dispersing the narrow sense of space, plus a circle of symbolic linear lights to form its own architectural language. People shuttle in it, without the slightest sense of awkwardness, in the span of space to open the artistic journey of records and coffee.

The fair-faced concrete chandelier, pure white long table and acrylic blue seat echo the overall style, highlighting the modern and advanced sense. It smoothes the anxiety of the heart and brings people a peaceful experience. The single passenger area is separated from the multiperson card seat by the aisle, and the limited space is reasonably arranged while ensuring noninterference.

The terrazzo chandelier with metal texture once again gives the soul of the space, concrete, terrazzo, metal and other materials with soft and eye-catching linear lamp belt design, creating a warm, private, amazing atmosphere. 

Seats face the wall, so that single cusomers can come to the store to maximize the immersion in personal thinking.

Dessert cabinet and bar show completely transparent state, grinding, extraction, coffee form and production process at a glance. 

Concise and delicate, with a lowkey attitude foil products, so that people focus on the visual focus on coffee and desserts.It deduces a very pure modernist style.

In the dimension of infinite extension of time and space, the interpretation of Decade is no longer a short "Decade", but is endowed with more beautiful meanings. 

In the city full of guard and alienation, music, coffee, art and reading merge and react together in this decade, forming a new form, and ultimately depicting the utopia of beauty and romance in people's hearts. 

With the unique brand operation mode and the ingenious works of Touch design, Decade Cafe has emerged as a young star in Tianjin's coffee scene.

Floor plan. Image © TOUCH Design

Project facts

Project name: Decade Cafe

Architects: TOUCH Design

Location: Tianjin, China 

Size: 60m2 

Date: 2019 

All images © Yuhua Kou

> via TOUCH Design