Singapore coffee shop Alchemist plants a wooden pavilion among the sea of skyscrapers

Alchemist coffee’s latest outpost at The Hereen Mall in Singapore’s is a hybrid indoor-outdoor space by local studio Wynk.

The cafe is located on street level, at a busy intersection within the Orchard shopping district. This prominent and hectic location inspires the interiors, which, by contrast, are conceived as a ‘store in the park’ – a quiet oasis within the bustle of the area, says the studio.

Wynk’s design takes its cues from traditional timber pavilions and accommodates the sloping site with a series of terraced platforms and benches.

Alchemist is a mix of organic and industrial design, with the exterior of the coffee shop marked out by its wooden beams and sprays of greenery and the interior with its gleaming stainless steel panelling and rigid lines – created by tiling, shelves and criss-cross benches.

Wynk has also introduced ‘landscape elements’, adding zen garden-esque strips of sand and rocks and allowing the outdoor plants to intertwine with the wood. The result is an organically infused respite from the commotion of Orchard Street.

The outpost is the sixth for the Singaporean coffee chain, which started as a humble hole-in-the-wall in the island’s CBD back in 2016. It joins sibling cafes at the Hong Leong Building, The Mill and 71 Robinson Road.

260 Orchard Rd, #01-ORA The Heeren, Singapore 238855