Art and Coffee Come Together at Café La Loop 86
This minimalist Shanghai cafe is housed in an old shipyard brought back to life by Kengo Kuma
Designed by Jun Murata of JAM architects, Café La Loop 86 is a cafe and gallery housed in Shanghai’s Shipyard 1862, an old shipyard on the Huangpu river that Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has transformed into a mixed-use space housing a theatre, commercial spaces, atriums and multi-purpose halls. ‘I wanted my design to respect Kuma’s designs, and his use of materials and lighting,’ Murata, founder of JAM explains.
The gallery is at the centre of the store with a cafe counter on one side of the art space, and the design is intended to encourage flexibility and movement between the spaces. Wall space is left bare for exhibitions, and the pared back, meditative palette allows the film on screen to become the focal point.
Wood and brass accents characterise the interior, while Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner sit around a handmade table. The cafe’s facade is made from gradated glass, ensuring a slice of tranquil privacy for the guests inside and allowing the cafe’s design to effortlessly flow into its exposed concrete surroundings.
Text / Babette Radclyffe-Thomas
Images / Courtesy of JAM
