Design Team: Adib Iravani, Mohsen Khazdooz, Mahsa Moradi
CG Artists: Mahsa Moradi, Maryam Tooyserkani
Photography: Ehsan Hajirasouliha
Client: Hessam Aghili
Project Execution: Hessam Aghili
Supervision: Mohsen Khazdooz, Adib Iravani
Electrical Installations: Mr. Jahangiri
Mechanical Installations: Mr. Aqadadi
Area: 16 square meters
Space Volume: 16 cubic meters
Location: Cafe Dayereh, Sangtarasha Street, Hakim Nezami Street, Isfahan, Iran 2022
Cafés, regarded as social enclaves, represent multifaceted spaces that facilitate social exchange and intellectual engagement. They transcend their utilitarian function of serving beverages by fostering an environment conducive to camaraderie, inquiry, and knowledge acquisition. These establishments exude vibrancy, diversity, wit, and amusement, providing patrons a platform for emotional expression with empathetic confidants, thereby affording an opportunity for catharsis and alleviation of existential complexities (cf. Haghighi, «Places That Serve as Excuses,» Angah Magazine, Issue Four).
The contemporary landscape witnesses the emergence of a novel category termed «outdoor cafés,» epitomizing a paradigm shift that prioritizes expediency in both order placement and fulfillment. This departure from traditional café norms positions such establishments as hubs that forego contemplative spaces in favor of rapid transactional exchanges (cf. Ibid).
In the context of our project, a modest -16 square-meter retail space adjacent to the stone-cutters’ thoroughfare in the Jolfa Armenian enclave of Isfahan was earmarked for transformation into one of these outdoor cafés. Engaging in a discourse with the proprietor revealed a confluence of aspirations, needs, and constraints, prompting a fundamental query: Can the paradigm of these cafés be reimagined to transcend the confines of mere service provision and evolve into communal spaces fostering social interaction?
This led to a deliberate reorganization of the café’s spatial configuration, departing from the conventional delineation that demarcates a distinct boundary between the barista’s operational domain and the waiting area for clientele. By strategically relocating the counter from the frontal expanse to the terminal wall, a communal space seamlessly integrating baristas and patrons was engendered. The resultant milieu provides an interactive platform during the coffee preparation process, affording patrons an opportunity to witness the artistry of the barista’s performance. Augmenting this spatial arrangement, the introduction of a central roundtable, serving as a focal point akin to a social hub, endeavors to create an intimate sphere conducive to impromptu social exchanges and conviviality.
Methodologically, the spatial transformation was actualized through the ubiquitous application of white ceramic tiles, harmonizing with a deliberate softening of wall contours. This architectural intervention was purposefully orchestrated to subdue structural prominence, ensuring a unobtrusive backdrop that accentuates the dynamism of activities transpiring within. The intent is to assimilate entrants into the narrative of spatial evolution, seamlessly converging with the formative scenario (cf. Ibid).
In its denouement, the redesigned space assumes a dual role — prominently positioned alongside the stone-cutters’ thoroughfare, yet discreetly poised as a contemplative juncture. This intersection serves as a pivotal locus for novel experiential encounters, culminating in a cessation point for coffee procurement that effortlessly segues into convivial discourse.