IT CAFE
Set within an existing building in the vibrant district of Kolonaki, Athens, IT café is a fresh food cafe and multi-functional space unique in its simplicity and use of materials.
The IT café concept was inspired by the humble and practical crates used to deliver food to restaurants. These packing crates allude to food markets and urban mobility whilst providing an architectural solution capable of responding to the changing needs of a multi-functional space on a tight budget.
The cafe doubles as a venue for presentations and exhibitions and has an interior made entirely out of compressed wood chip boards, creating a space that resembles a piece of flat-pack furniture. The rough, unfinished textures and low cost materials lend the space a casual informality, resulting in an environment that is inviting, unpretensious and stimulating. Wooden stud frames make a spectacle of mundane storage and provide flexible shelving whilst the horizontal glass storefront brings in natural light and encourages a dialogue with passers-by. The use of glass, juxtaposed with the wood and brick of the existing building, highlights the simple design of the interior.
