Coffee Bar’s tiny Kearny Street shop by Jones Haydu sits right at the entrance to a large parking garage and caters to the busy people of the Financial District. Utilizing the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, the exterior wood siding is scorched, a process which inherently prolongs the life of the wood. Above the opening, the scorching fades into the wood’s natural color. On the left, at pedestrian level, the scorched wood wraps to the interior, becoming the main intervention: a black frame surrounding the baristas.
This black frame becomes a room within a room, emphasizing the artistry of the barista through a minimal use of materials and high efficiency lighting. The blackened steel counter provides a stark backdrop for the finished product, and will patina over time.
Jones Haydu has won a Merit Award for Interior Architecture from the American Institute of Architects San Francisco for their work on Coffee Bar Kearny.
all images © Art Gray