OFF LINE Café is a coffee shop in the El Carmen neighbourhood of Valencia, designed by Ramón Esteve Estudio. The idea behind it is to help guests disconnect and pay attention to what they are drinking. It serves coffee, tea and natural wines.
Three materials
Only three materials are used: pine wood, black iron and ceramic. The studio calls them noble materials. An enamelled iron frame ties the inside to the street, and pine shutters take their cue from traditional joinery in the neighbourhood.
Large motorised folding windows open the cafe to the street. Depending on the time of day, they also become informal seating.
Furniture made for the room
Benches, tables and counters were all built specifically for the project, following the rhythm of the architecture and making work easier for the baristas. Walls are soft beige and the floor is smooth concrete. The service area has a brushed-metal finish, and bottles stand on floating shelves lit from behind.
Seating is spaced so there is room between tables while small groups can still sit close. Guests can take the window bench or sit further inside.
Light through the day
Daylight from the folding windows is the main light source, and the pine and ceramic surfaces deepen in tone as it changes. In the evening, hidden fittings pick up the texture of the surfaces rather than flooding the room with brightness. The restroom, behind a dark-stained wooden door, follows the same approach, with wood cabinetry and a corner mirror ringed by indirect light.
As a general point, a short list of materials used consistently, from facade to furniture, often makes a small hospitality space feel calmer than a richer palette would.
Project credits
- Project: OFF LINE Café, El Carmen, Valencia
- Design: Ramón Esteve Estudio (architect Ramón Esteve; project team Marisa Ridaura)
- Building engineer: Sergio Cremades
- Constructor: Construcciones Francés
- Photography: Alfonso Calza
- Source: Contemporist