cafe/day / Schemata Architects

Architects: Schemata Architects
Location: 1 Chome-14-26 Numakitachō, Numazu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 410-0058, Japan
Design Team: Ryosuke Yamamoto, Kosuke Nakano
Area: 226.0 sqm
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Kenta Hasegawa

Construction: Kato Komuten
Collaboration: BACH, SOUP DESIGN, Shigeki Fujishiro, Jin kuramoto, O.F.C, NCN

From the architect. Our challenge was to get everybody involved in the making of this cafe called DAY.

It is usually difficult to involve amateurs in the making process, as the quality would inevitably be lowered. On the other hand, I don’t think it is ideal to have experts achieve a perfect quality, because users might feel too intimidated to touch and change it.

With such thoughts in mind, we designed a cafe that allows for everybody’s involvement in the making process, so that the cafe will be loved as their own place, and that the place will continue to change and grow while embracing all visitors.

We held numerous open workshops and made various items; Recycled chairs, instructed by Schemata Architects, were renewed old chairs thoroughly sanded to expose the inner surface. All chairs regained the same fresh expressions while suggesting their individual characteristics at the same time; Lamp shades were made with instruction by Jin Kuramoto; Bookshelf units, composed of wooden boxes were made with instruction by Shigeki Fujishiro.

We asked Fumikazu Ohara (soup design) to do the signage plan and asked Yoshitaka Haba (BACH) to do the book direction. Thanks to all collaborators, we achieved this lively and fresh cafe space. Kato Komuten, a local contractor, did all architectural construction; OFC, a local furniture manufacturer, did all furniture works; and NCN cooperated in the production of wood angles. We are so grateful that many people took an active part in the making of this “handmade” cafe.