Designer's Note
The project “Arabica Shokudō’’ is located opposite of % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama, with a view of Kyoto’s Yasaka Pagoda. Its design focuses on revitalizing a traditional Japanese wooden house.
While preserving the old tiled roof, wooden pillars, and beams, we’ve created a beautiful contrast between the Hinoki cypress exterior walls and glass walls to express a sense of transparency towards the street.
The stones embedded in the steps at the entrance and the floor inside the shop are aged natural stones called “Aji-ishi,” which have been used in Kyoto since ancient times.
The open kitchen, set against the backdrop of traditional green (Oribe-color) tiles, is adorned with a symbol of the store: the cooking hearth. Historically known as “Okudo-san” in Kyoto, this hearth for cooking rice is reimagined for the new era of Arabica with seamless, smooth, white Corian. Moreover, a traditional technique called “Ajirō” – weaving thin cedar boards smoked for color – is used for the ceiling in front of the kitchen.
The shop’s airy atrium is bathed in pleasant sunlight, enveloping the space with the soft brightness of walls adorned with handmade, handcrafted washi paper. Within this, a white counter table is inserted as if threading through the pillars, creating a unique sense of floating. ***
– Cafe Co.
