Share to
NEO Coffee Bar @ The Taylor
By : Dialogue 38
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Café & Food Concession : Gold Certification
Categories : Special Awards / Interior Design + Lighting : Gold Certification
NEO COFFEE BAR’s newly-opened flagship location in the heart of busy downtown Toronto was imagined to offer an exciting and unexpected concept within the brand’s portfolio of locations. The intention was to create a space for a business model offering a hybrid between a full-service restaurant and a traditional coffee shop. The result is a dynamic space that transforms over the course of the day from a coffee bar specializing in Japanese pastry to a tapas restaurant and jazz venue featuring unique Japanese cocktails, whiskies and sakes in the evening.
This unique business concept had to be translated into the physical space to create an atmosphere inviting to the different clientele and uses. The sprawling 3000+ sq ft location was anchored by the service bar which serves as the focal point of activity and adds an element of live theatre to the guest experience.
The design from Dialogue 38 incorporated both the aesthetic of a Japanese sensibility through the use of maple wood combined with a modern urban edge through the use of concrete, metal and granite. The result is a minimalist but classically cool look and feel.
There were challenges in the space given its irregular configuration and the presence of large angled structural columns obstructing the space. Both challenges were embraced as design elements. Lighting features integrated the columns into the design while also demising the space to create different lounging areas.
The custom signature banquette seating design was first introduced by Dialogue 38 at Neo Coffee Bar’s original location and also incorporated here. Additionally, custom modular communal table pods were introduced to create yet another type of user experience while also adding a design feature mimicking the beauty of a Japanese rock garden.
Lightening was another key feature in design as it was essential in the transition between day and evening activities. Custom LED pendants were designed to integrate with the maple wood wall design but also to create different moods depending on the time of day.
Dialogue 38 has been working with NEO COFFEE BAR since it opened its first location and was excited to push the boundaries in this inspiring and unique space in Toronto’s entertainment district.
