KEIJI ASHIZAWA DESIGN

Opened in 2024, the Chunichi Building has become a new landmark in Sakae, the vibrant center of Nagoya—a city located between Tokyo and Osaka. Blue Bottle Coffee Nagoya Sakae Cafe occupies a prominent corner on the building’s ground floor, directly facing Hisaya-odori Park. With a constant flow of pedestrians arriving from the nearby subway and moving through the park, the cafe was designed to be easily accessible and welcoming to a diverse range of visitors.

Given the large pillars of the skyscraper building, three gates were created to separate the space. Since diverse guests are expected, each space has seating for one person, a couple, and a family of three or four. The central area is a space for couples to relax on sofas - enjoying the atmosphere of the park and looking at a mobile inspired by swaying tree branches hanging from the ceiling. The large gate, which acts as a picture frame, makes each room look like a landscape, creating a striking impression of the space.

Based on the concept of "Authentic & Cute," the wall tiles used throughout the space have a warm and an elegant pink tone, creating a charming and relaxed space. OLIVE BRICK, a tile manufacturer in Gifu Prefecture, produced the tiles in two shades to express the feeling of pastel colored cherry blossoms shining in daylight, toned down to a calm and warm color when the lights are on in the evening.

Almost all of the furniture was made in collaboration with Karimoku Furniture of Aichi Prefecture, and two new coffee tables were designed for the cafe. The bespoke wall and pendant lamps were made of local Mino pottery. And for the first time, the signage of Blue Bottle Coffee was made with ceramics.

Despite being an interior space, the tiled pillars and beams lend it a strong yet graceful architectural presence. The view extends into the surrounding cityscape and park, allowing the space to function as an urban cafe seamlessly connected to the city. This is the long-awaited first Blue Bottle Coffee to open in Nagoya, and we hope that it will be familiar to local residents for many years to come.