type – Interior design
program – commercial, horeca
location – Cluj, RO
date – 2025
surface – 15 m2
status – completed
collaborators – arh. Szőke Eszter
furniture – Adecom, Sandor Metaval, Mobila Rozsa, Mendola
photography – Norbert Varga
Set within just 15 m², this specialty coffee shop in Cluj shows how constraint sparks creativity. Located beside the Someș River in the ground floor of the historic Berde Palace, the design balances architectural dignity with the openness of contemporary coffee culture. Every centimeter was optimized to handle specialty coffee, juices, and pastries while creating a warm social space shaped by the owner–barista.
Instead of a conventional counter, a large shared table doubles as both workstation and gathering point, dissolving barriers between host and guest. Brewing becomes performance, and conversation flows as naturally as coffee. A restroom with storage above frees the main floor, while seating at the window and rear accommodates both quick stops and longer stays.
The owner’s taste for lively colors, wood, and greenery defines the atmosphere, with plants spilling over shelves to create a vibrant refuge. Playful bean-shaped mirrors expand space, reflect light, and invite selfies—turning visitors into informal ambassadors.
Warm wood, daylight from large windows, and layered evening lighting center the shop around its communal table. Small in scale but rich in ideas, it transforms limits into opportunities, becoming a civic living room where coffee fosters community within the historic Berde Palace.
