Inspired by the city’s iconic public housing estates and its playgrounds, which can be found all across the territory and have become social media attractions in themselves, the cafe is immediately recognisable, a vivid blast of colour and texture among the city’s sea of minimalist, all-white coffee shops. 

The main challenge was the location as the café is situated on a bland, busy stretch of highway surrounded by car dealerships and office blocks. However, we used this to our advantage to create an interesting focal point through juxtaposition of brutalist geometry and cheerful coral-pink facade. The recessed entrance and signage signals the importance of dimension, while a single circular window looks into what appears to be a basketball court, with a glass-topped communal table in the shape of a free-throw area. 

We strategically used colour to delineate the playful interior. The front bar and main room is swathed in shades of pink, from ceiling to serving counter and plaster walls, which have been finished to resemble concrete. Custom made soap-like resin blocks emit a warm glow, with concealed lighting throughout a stand-in for natural light. The back and flooring is a palette of pastel blue-greens. A ceramic-tiled bench runs along the rear wall, and trellises add depth and texture, mimicking the many public resting areas in the public housing estates . The custom made tiles are enlarged versions of the mosaic tiles found in housing blocks, with each piece individually attached to the wall without any grouting.