CALIFORNIAN BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE OPENS NEWEST LOCATION IN SHIBUYA DISTRICT

Californian coffee brand Blue Bottle Coffee has a strong foothold in Japan, always positioning its design led stores for the caffeine hungry in less obvious locations. Blue Bottle Coffee has stepped away from its former standard aesthetic of white walls and light wood in its recent opening in the Jinnan area of Tokyo’s Shibuya district and has introduced the work of architect Keiji Ashizawa to their repertoire.

Blue Bottle coffee sits on the back streets in more unusual locations across Japan. From the Roppongi location a few quiet streets away from the The National Art Center Tokyo, to the recent transformation of a traditional townhouse in Kyoto. Although wanting to open in Shibuya for a long time, they were waiting for the perfect spot such as Jinnan to take over a quiet area by Yoyogi Park.

Jinnan is the second location for Keiji Ashizawa to take the reins on the design following the success of the Minatomirai location in Yokohama, where wood was used as the key material in the interiors. The new Shibuya branch is stylised by dark glazed tiles created from the ashes of a Sicilian volcano. The large counter in the ground floor space, a full-length wall upstairs and a custom table in the lounge area are covered in the tile.

‘When Blue Bottle approached me about the Jinnan store, I thought this would really work well and everyone immediately took to the idea. A square cheesecake with a crème brûlée top matching the colours of the Formafantasma tile has even been added to the menu.’ states Ashizawa. These Formafantasma-designed ExCinere tiles for London-based architecture materials company Dzek are the undeniable showstoppers in the location.

Blue Bottle Coffee has had a long-standing collaboration with Schemata Architects led by Jo Nagasaka. In total almost 20 stores were designed by the practise across Japan, South Korea and Los Angeles. Although Blue Bottle is still working with Schemata, the addition of Ashizawa was to ensure they kept the design fresh and engaging to their cult following.

Ashizawa has also designed the furniture in the property including a special stacking bench made by Ishinomaki Laboratory (a brand he helped to found after the devastating Tohoku earthquake in 2011) which can be easily moved and stored. In addition, infamous Japanese brands Karimoku and Ariake have provided additional seating with sofas for lounging and high stools.