Starbucks opened the doors of its Tokyo Reserve Roastery yesterday, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in the city’s Nakameguro district.
The new outpost is the only roastery built from the ground up by a local architect, and is designed to celebrate the cherry blossom trees. Glass windows and terraces look onto the seasonal blossoms that line the Meguro River.
Interiors of Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo were conceived by chief design officer Liz Muller, and a 55-ft copper cask takes centre stage. It rises four-storeys high and is adorned with handcrafted cherry blossom details.
Light woods traditionally used in Japanese architecture have been used for furnishings, and the timber-tiled ceiling is inspired by the art of origami. As well as an on-site roastery, there’s a Japanese tea bar and Arriviamo cocktail bar inside the Tokyo cafe.
It’s not Kuma’s first collaboration with the coffee giant. Most recently, he stacked 29 shipping containers to create a ‘drive in’ Starbucks in Taiwan.
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