toronto’s % arabica union station by tacklebox architecture
Toronto’s historic Union Station is now home to the global coffee brand % Arabica. CanadaThe flagship store is a white, bright and minimal interior with camel accents that evoke the aroma of the hot beverage. New York-based studio Tacklebox Architecture, under the leadership Jeremy Barbour. coffe shop design reveals a main counter area, a merchandise section, a central high table, rows of chairs on one side, and additional seating spaces placed along the shop’s front. The design is surrounded by sculptural surfaces that are inspired by the geological formations and glacial movements of the Canadian landscape. The facades, meanwhile, boast the brand’s % symbol as neon-lit signs.
all images © Eric Petschek
Use faceted blocks to build floor-to ceiling wall terrains
The % Arabica Union Station draws inspiration from the layered beauty found in glacial ice and folded rocks, as well as the strata beneath the bedrock. flagship by Tacklebox Architecture (see more hereThe faceted wall surface extends from the floor to the ceiling. This monolithic surface is comprised of 172 faceted blocks that have been meticulously carved from 3,452 layers of stacked gypsum wallboard– a ubiquitous building material commonly sourced in the region but used here in a uniquely striking way. Jeremy Barbour, his team and their powder-coated steel niches were placed at intervals on this white geometric surface. They house bulk bags of coffee and other merchandise. A continuous white Corian surface folds and carves space to form front and back service counters where visitors gather to receive % Arabica’s finest coffees sourced from around the globe.
% Arabica Union Station Flagship in Toronto
minimal. White interiors with camel and gold accents
% Arabica merchandise section
The geological formations of Canada inspired the design of floor-to ceiling wall surfaces
Tacklebox Architecture used 172 faceted gypsum blocks that were carved out of 3,452 layers.
