The Lavazza coffee store inaugurated in Ibiza, in collaboration with Officina iDEa. Here the famous bitter grain becomes the protagonist and it expresses all its cultural and experiential variations.
COFFEE BREAK
Coffee culture is a tradition that passed down all over the world for years, knowing different variations according to the context in which it is settled. There is no continent without any charm of its essence, making it a real ritual. Did you know, for example, that in Ethiopia the preparation of Arabica coffee takes place in all its phases in a domestic environment? As a real ritual, starting from roasting, passing through the grinding and ending with the infusion, everything is done at home. Each culture knows its own technique, which ranges from preparation to tasting. An overview is available in this article from the Lavazza magazine. Italy is undoubtedly the homeland of coffee, with the unique and inimitable espresso. Its own definition encompasses the essence of Italian coffee. If in fact other countries conceives the coffee as a stop to calmly taste and enjoy, in the beautiful country it is often served at the counter, by standing and very quickly. <the barista expresses its skills knowing how to master the coffee machine by cranking out one cup after the other. It is no coincidence that the main feature of the espresso is that you can finish it in three sips. An espresso is perfect at any time of the day, nothing to do with the cappuccino with croissants that denotes the breakfast ritual. An espresso is a quickly break before going to work, but also a refill after lunch or the perfect closing of the day.
THE CONCEPT
The project, of which we had anticipated you some work in progress photos, follows the Officina iDEa’s concept, focused on the morphology of the coffee grain. Not only has that, the commercial space rather than a simple shop and bar fit perfectly into the category of concept store. It is in fact a retail space mostly focused on the experience and philosophy behind the band, which is in this case Lavazza. The atmosphere recalls for lines and shapes the sinuosity of the coffee grain, also matches with colours and materials that define it. This is the reason why a textured fabric-like laminate was chosen for the finish of the false ceiling and for the central pillar, to recall the texture of the jute bags in which the precious product is kept. The internal layout of the spaces provides a direct sales area for products, with relative exhibition, a tasting area to enjoy the sacred moment of the coffee break in a European concept. But also a series of infopoints where you can get closer to the cultural world and curiosities of the Italian coffee, and an import and export office visible from the large windows. The projects also considers the graphic point of view, establishing a user experience with a line that accompanies the customer towards the main display elements and in the tasting and sales area. A graphic line that also develops on the sidewalls from the floor, becoming three-dimensional displays elements.
MORPHOLOGY, COLOURS AND MATERIALS
The concept store follows a conceptual development of its spaces. Each of these is clearly identifiable in the forms and graphic lines, fitting harmoniously as a natural passage between the zones. The presence of exhibition volumes that emerge from the ground as a horizontal stratification of several layers mainly characterizes the space used for the product’s display and sale. If in the lower part these elements are made of natural lacquered curved MDF profiles with horizontal closing surface in white laminate, the upper part takes on its shape to incorporate the lighting. A stylistic line that characterizes the whole store, providing dynamism and graphic elegance. These elements are interspersed with other exhibition objects, recovered from yesterday’s time contexts and added to convey the ideas of authenticity and tradition. This is the case, for example, of the drawers spreads all over the back wall, becoming display elements for the various essence of coffee. Even the display cabinet with bright green doors has been recovered from an old context to take on new life. To enrich the space, we can found jute bags at the corners of the furnishings, which texture is takes from the sidewalls. The coffee bar is equipped with punctual lighting, with suspension lamps with a contemporary design. On the back, a linear display element took place, the external lines of which are rounded in accordance with the general design line. The tasting area is much more essential in design, to focus attention on the experience itself. Classic armchairs in black leather accompany reinvented pellets with metal wheels and glass support surface. Punctual lighting is set up on sight in the recessed false ceiling. It is exactly from this room, that the area for import and export offices takes place visible through a large window, making it a multifunctional environment.
