Starbucks Omotesando Hills connects customers with nature and local history with new biophilic interior design

28.March.2019 | FOOD / SPOT

Starbucks Coffee Japan will open one of its highest quality stores in Omotesando Hills, Aoyama on Friday 12th April 2019. The Omotesando Hills store will be the first Starbucks in the country to incorporate biophilic design.

 

The concept of biophilic design attracts a great deal of attention from around the world. It is the concept of creating harmony between people and nature to improve wellbeing and happiness. Starbucks Omotesando Hills has created a space where you can feel the fullness of water and greenery, connecting the store’s location to its surrounding areas in its impressive design such as the historical Meiji Shrine. A lot of greenery and water has been incorporated into the design. This is a new place where you can enjoy a line of Zelkova trees that is also at Meiji Shrine. You will be surrounded by a lively atmosphere with the light fragrance of coffee and plants in the air.

Design concept: SHADE GROWN ー under the zelkova tree

SHADE GROWN is a method of coffee cultivation in the shade that simultaneously protects the ecosystem of the rainforest. With this in mind, the Starbucks logo that greets customers as they walk in is accompanied by a logo that combines the first character of the word Omotesando with a design that symbolises the clean water flowing from Omotesando down to Meiji Shrine. This environment full of greenery spreads from the underground to overground to welcome people into the store.

 

The design of the cafe includes the sacred couple camphor tree. This is a set of two sacred trees at Meiji Shrine that is known as a power spot to strengthen relationships. From the shrine gate to the forest, the mystical layers of forest have been portrayed through the greenery and artwork.

In the centre of the cafe, there is a projector that projects ripples and waves according to the weather. The concept is that water collects on the surface and percolates through the ground, forming into a water droplet that falls into the “water” to cause a ripple. This design feature connects the overground to the underground through water.

 

The counter where you pick up your drinks is decorated with a vase containing a single flower. As this flower is changed weekly, you can enjoy the changing seasons overtime. This experience and atmosphere will not only put you at ease, but will help you connect with nature and the local history. This is a new place where you can relax and enjoy a completely unique experience at your own pace.

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