Serbian practice Arhitektura Budjevac has created a fresh looking coffee shop in Niš, Serbia, the first one of the future ‘Stock Coffee’ franchise. In order to transform a former retail space into a coffee shop, Arhitektura Budjevac removed all unnecessary elements of the interior, exposing its concrete ceiling, walls, beams and columns.
The space consists of two L-shaped spaces, one above the other, connected visually and spatially by an atrium. A large wall, 10 meters long and 5 meters high, stretches through the whole coffee shop and is used as a blackboard: its hand-drawn decorations are made by the young Serbian artist Jelena Ilić.
In order to water down the space and give a welcoming note, wood is integrated in some of the walls, alongside with the raw and conspicuous concrete elements. The furniture is composed in a way to make the coffee shop more relaxed and informal. Some old, metal sewer pipes are also left visible, going through both stories, but covered with special rubber-like insulation for a softer look.
As a little social media experiment in the era of ‘selfies’, catchy writings are visible on the bathroom mirrors. This incites many clients to take selfies and share them on social media thus making an original marketing trick.
all images © ANDREJA BUDJEVAC