Sensory Lab

Inspired by the Collins St site's history, Foolscap created a sense of order between man and machine; combining a nod to Japanese Modernist efficiency with a ritualistic approach to coffee.

Activating the site's ground plane, the design responds to the ritual of morning coffee within the context of the site’s modernist architecture. The concept created a ‘deconstructed’ yet refined experience. Reflecting the site’s history, the aim was to establish a sense of order – patrons are greeted by a finely tuned coffee production space, a micro factory for all things coffee, with a nod to Japanese Modernist efficiency and ceremonial ritual.

Reminiscent of a 20th-century electronics lab, the exterior vignetted windows serve as the point of service where staff and customer interacted. Inside the ‘vending machine’ facade, a human element is revealed and the production line-style counter can be seen serving specialty toast, teas and coffee.

Materials representing ‘high tech’ in modern times – stainless steel, suspended translucent canopies and marmoleum – married 20th-century ideas with the contemporary. Clean, strong and utilitarian furniture maintained a form-follows-function approach.

The resulting design was crisp, structured and efficient, offering a new interpretation of Melbourne coffee through the Sensory Lab experience.