Kengo Kuma goes from wood to containers
The first plastic-free supermarket in Madrid, the best ecological hotel in the world (in Costa Rica), a recycled floating park in Rotterdam, a shopping center for recycled products in Sweden, an ecovillage in Panama, a cabin on a deserted beach in the Seychelles …
The relationship between architecture and environment It is not only possible, but essential to take care of our planet.
Increasingly, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and, of course, homes , from all over the world join this cause, which we do not want to call a trend, because we do not want it to end, but expand more and more.
Added to this cause starbucks with its new location in Taiwan , designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
29 recycled containers , 320 square meters and two floors where everything is Instagrammable, including the views.
CONTAINERS, SKYLIGHTS AND, OF COURSE, COFFEE
This is the first store of this type that Starbucks opens in Pacific Asia , in which Kengo Kuma has used for the first time the traditional chinese bow to design this ambitious sustainable project.
Many of the containers that make up the structure have windows and skylights that allow natural light to enter, converting a space that at first glance seems airtight into a series of cozy rooms where you can enjoy a Blanco Mocha or a Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino.
“Within the geometric space, clients find a tribute to the cultural vitality of Hualien,” say from Starbucks, because the colored walls, In addition to telling stories about coffee, they represent stories of the aboriginal peoples, who are so deeply rooted in this town.
Container on the outside... cozy on the inside!
COFFEE WITH A VIEW OR TO TAKE AWAY?
The cafe is located in the mall Hualien Bay Mall and, in addition to its cozy interior, it also has a place reserved for a drivers who want to pick up their coffee to go.
The best? to be inside drinking coffee overlooking a beautiful mountain range from a comfortable sofa.
It is not the first Starbucks signed by Kuma: he had previously designed a two-tailed mermaid store in ** Fukuoka (Japan) ** using wooden slats inside. It will also take care of the new Starbucks Roastery in Tokyo, which will be inaugurated soon.
Sustainable is possible!
STARBUCKS GREENER STORES
The Taiwan project is part of the 'Starbucks Greener Stores' initiative, which aims to form a framework for design, build and operate sustainable venues around the world.
“In the United States, Starbucks has opened 45 of these prefabricated modular stores, incorporated off-site prior to delivery and installation, and minimizing the environmental footprint typically associated with the construction of new buildings.
Shall we meet for coffee in a container?
A coffee in a container? Let there be two!