Elixir Bunn Coffee Roasters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by AZAZ Architects.

AZAZ Architects’ Elixir Bunn Coffee Roasters café in Saudi Arabia appears as the physical manifestation of a warm cup of coffee. Natural textured materials and softly curving arches form a church-like space, where the rituals of coffee preparation and enjoyment are celebrated.

Saudi Arabian coffee roasters, Elixir Bunn, asked AZAZ Architects to design a space for their new location in Riyadh that can transport their customers into another world. A world where coffee becomes much more than a rushed morning drink, and rather a spiritual experience long embedded within Saudi culture.

The project, appropriately named Deco Temple, unfolds with arresting soaring ceiling heights that are closely aligned to a religious interior rather than a coffee shop. An existing central column becomes the main guiding force behind the scheme. Original structural fragments were not thought of as inconveniences from the past, but instead as opportunities to define a new future. The column was embraced and transformed, oversized arched walls now grow from its base, creating the centre point of the design.

Materials come together to speak of both the past and the future. Soaring arches finished with a rough, mud coating are a nod to the golden deserts of Saudi Arabia, while colourful terrazzo tiles reminiscent of sprinkle covered cupcakes, breathe a contemporary voice into the interior.

A spiral staircase dipped in deep blue seems to hang suspended within the space like an elegant sculpture. It’s sinuous curves softly mirror the surrounding arches, creating an exciting tension with the sharp edges of the rectilinear counter.

AZAZ Architects’ scheme for Elixir Bunn Coffee Roasters bridges tradition with the contemporary, celebrating a ritual closely tied to the Saudi culture. It’s the most perfect place for a morning beverage.

Related: Surreal Classicism: Maó Space by One Fine Day Studio & Partners.

[Images courtesy of AZAZ Architects. Photography by Abdulrahman Bayshout.]