EBBA designs London coffee shop to act as "momentary refuge"

Architecture studio EBBA used warm hues and “milky” surfaces to foster a relaxed ambience in this coffee shop, which is tucked within London‘s busy Holborn tube station.

This is the fifth location that coffee and baked goods company Joe Blake’s has opened in the capital since launching in 2019.

The compact site in Holborn was previously a dry cleaners and, according to EBBA, had been designed “purely for transactional use”.

Aiming to create a more calming interior that would offset the hubbub of the surrounding station, the studio began by making some modest structural changes.

“We focused on reconfiguring the internal arrangement to create a sense of openness,” the studio told Dezeen.

“By subtly widening sightlines and adjusting the flow between the street and counter area, we transformed the kiosk into a more accessible and engaging space, allowing it to function not just as a point of service but as a small architectural moment within the station.”

“Conceived as both a daily ritual and a momentary refuge, the space is designed to serve commuters seeking a quick, restorative dose of coffee,” it added.

A rounded stainless steel counter now sits at the heart of the space.

This has a small built-in display area for pastries, cakes and other sweet treats that customers can order with their drinks.

Extra stock of coffee beans, cups, and other miscellaneous equipment required by the baristas is kept behind the counter in a storage wall.

Its cabinets have a “milky” surface finish that hazily conceals everything inside.

“The idea for the milky screen stemmed from the desire to create a subtle veil between the customer-facing area and the preparation spaces, echoing the quiet clarity found in contemporary pharmacy displays,” the studio explained.

“We wanted a feature that hinted at the activity behind the bar without fully revealing it, creating intrigue rather than exposure,” it continued.

“The diffused quality of the screen introduces a soft luminosity that stabilises the visual field, helping the cafe feel composed and serene.”

EBBA has also applied sand-coloured plaster to the shop’s ceiling and installed mirrors on its end wall to make the space appear longer.

The central mirror boasts an orange decal of Joe Blake’s handwritten-style logo.

Other visually striking coffee shops to recently open up include Simple Coffee in Paris, which features silo-style steel seating, and Bigface in Miami, which takes design cues from the classic sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The photography is by Genevieve Lutkin.

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