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Coffee bar
the World Of Hospitality
J
Coffee Bar Revitalizes Area
ones | haydu has won a Merit Award for Interior
Architecture from the American Institute of
Architects San Francisco for their work on Coffee
Bar Kearny.
The primary objective for this tiny cafe in the heart
of downtown San Francisco was to bring epicurean
level coffee at a rate and speed to meet the Financial
District’s demands while simultaneously revitalizing a
stretch of sidewalk that has been fallow for over twenty
years. Coffee Bar serves as a workshop to explore,
experiment, and embrace the trends of the coffee
industry.
The cafe sits at the entrance to Saint Mary’s Garage,
located centrally on the block of Kearny Street directly
across from the Bank of America plaza. This stretch of
sidewalk has been plagued by vacancy: adjacent lies a
neglected lot, and the space itself has been empty for at
least twenty years. After the Loma Prieta earthquake,
the garage underwent seismic upgrades. This placed
a large concrete shear wall between the space and the
sidewalk, effectively making it undesirable for retail.
In an effort to bring life back to this crucial pedestrian
zone, the concrete shear wall was opened, connecting
the space to the sidewalk. In order to reduce waste,
materials were used sparingly. Instead of covering up
an othewise rough shell, existing concrete and piping
were refreshed and left exposed, celebrating their
industrial character.
About jones | haydu
Utilizing the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, the
exterior wood siding is scorched, a process which
inherently prolongs the life of the wood. Above the
opening, the scorching fades into the wood’s natural
color. On the left, at pedestrian level, the scorched
wood wraps to the interior, becoming the main
intervention: a black frame surrounding the baristas.
This black frame becomes a room within a room,
emphasizing the artistry of the barista through a
minimal use of materials and high efficiency lighting.
The blackened steel counter provides a stark backdrop
for the finished product, and will patina over time.
Their design approach centers on the search for ideas
and concepts particular to each client, program, and
site, and is informed by the unique nature of each
project. At the core of this approach is the goal of
having the architecture enrich the experience of the
end users. They look to light, space, material, and
form to create these experiences and deepen their
connection to the building, site, and community.
Ideally, the realized form will resonate and
communicate with the senses in both measurable and
immeasurable ways.
Website: www.joneshaydu.com
jones | haydu is a dynamic, award winning San
Francisco based firm, established in 2004 by principals
Hulett Jones and Paul Haydu. The principals’ expertise
combines over forty years experience and includes
civic, academic, recreational, retail, restaurant,
hospitality, commercial, and residential projects in
several states.
Photo Credit: Art Gray