Connel Coffee shop beautifully reflects the iconic Sogetsu Kaikan building, thanks to a team of designers named 'Nendo,' which means 'clay' in Japanese.
The coffee shop is housed on the second floor, which was originally designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Nendo wanted to keep the walls and ceiling intact of the previous structure and only renovated the floor and furniture.
The designers told freshome, "The café is chiefly managed by Nendo and, inspired by our ever-growing collaborations with a wide variety of people, we have named it Connel. It's a play on the Japanese word 'koneru,' meaning 'to knead' or 'to mold,' as in molding a piece of clay, as they are continuously coming up with projects that they could form and enhance.
The material is the same for the floors and the counters to emphasize the transparent upper half of the walls. The reflection of flooring and greenery add to the dramatic mood of the coffee shop. Interiors are mostly composed of matte black resulting in a minimalist feel. There are uniform Tulip chairs made by Ero Saarinen also painted with Matte black, paired with Tulip tables.
Along Nendo's diverse designs include a minimalist Twig Chair, and its 'Chocolatexture Collection,' which is carefully sculpted chocolates with very detailed designs. Nendo Head Oki Sato shares, "The 9 different types of chocolate are made within the same size, 26x26x26mm, featuring pointed tips, hollow interiors, smooth or rough surface textures. And while the raw materials are identical, the distinctive textures create different tastes."
The view of the greenery outside as well as the cozy and sophisticated ambience within the coffee shop certainly make Connel a place where one could relax over a cup of coffee while reading a good book, or just hang out with friends to reconnect while enjoying a warm drink especially this holiday season.