I IN designs Blue Bottle Coffee in Takanawa to carry "the essence of history into the present"

Japanese studio I IN has created a cafe for Blue Bottle Coffee in Takanawa, Tokyo, with a design that references historic stone gates and aims to promote human interaction.

I IN, which is led by Yohei Terui and Hiromi Yuyama, was tasked with designing the cafe in Tokyo's Takanawa Gateway City.

The historic area served as the gateway to the city when Tokyo was named Edo. It is also where Japan's first railway was built. Terui and Yuyama drew on this history for the design of the 1,340-square-metre cafe.

"Blue Bottle Coffee Takanawa Cafe embodies the notion of passage, of crossing thresholds and entering new worlds," the studio said.

"Each moment within the cafe – from ordering to pickup to the act of drinking – is framed by symbolic 'gates', gently detaching the visitor from the outside world."

This gate-like design is especially visible at the 49-square-metre booth where customers order drinks, which has a monolithic, sloping shape reminiscent of the historic railway gate once found on the site.

The service counter is made from volcanic tuff stone, which has a terrazzo-like pattern and was traditionally used in the area.

"By carefully selecting the same kind of material and recreating the original form, we've succeeded in carrying the essence of history into the present – and forward into the future," Terui told Dezeen.

"We believe stone is a timeless material, and conveying history through it represents a new approach to sustainable design."

Blue Bottle Coffee Takanawa Cafe is located at the junction of a shopping area and office area inside a development that also holds residences, a museum and three different stations – Shinagawa Station, Takanawa Gateway Station and Sengakuji Station.

The designers aimed for the seating area, which features sculptural stone benches and large planters that also nod to classic portal shapes, to "emphasize the importance of human connection".

"In today's world, people often prioritize their phones or online interactions, even in physical spaces meant for real-life experiences," I IN said.

"What we propose for the future is a return to genuine human interaction. By dividing the space and creating distinct gateways for each function, customers are encouraged to engage more deeply – with the space, the experience and especially with the brand."

Terui and Yuyama also wanted the space to have a natural feel, comparing its layout of undulating tiered wooden seats to the banks of a river.

"The layered seating area recalls the stacked stone embankments that once defined the site," the studio said.

"The shape and layout of the fixtures take cues from the flow of water, which holds a strong connection to the local area."

The Blue Bottle Coffee symbol, with its distinctive bright-blue colour, was rendered in metal and set into the cafe's wall.

"We used a blue-colored metal plate for the Blue Bottle Coffee logo," I IN said. "But what we aimed to do was allow customers to encounter the logo through a carved stone surface, making it feel as though the branding naturally emerges from within."

Other Blue Bottle Coffee cafes in Japan include a Schemata Architects-designed wooden building overlooking Tokyo Bay and a Nagoya cafe by Keiji Ashizawa that features locally produced tiles.

The photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

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