Gelato Shop in Minoh｜an Archi-Lab. First-Class Architect Office

This project concerns the interior design for a newly opened gelato shop.

Taking the client’s brief into account, and in deliberate contrast to many peers that favor poppy, brightly colored interiors, we pursued a calm, café-like atmosphere that invites customers to linger.

The project is an existing tenant fit-out, and it was necessary to harmonize the interior tonal palette with the dark-hued façade composed of exterior tiles and the entrance door. In parallel, by considering the character of the frozen desserts and the desired subdued ambiance, a spatial concept with reduced saturation and muted tones naturally emerged.

A primary concern was to avoid the space conveying a merely "cold" impression. We configured the millwork, the overhead lighting that doubles as suspended shelving, and the partition to the kitchen as furniture-like elements. Introducing the soft warmth of timber in these elements allowed us to calibrate the perceived "temperature" of the space.

The intent was to preserve the composed, chic calmness—including that of the façade—while modulating comfort through the insertion of wooden furniture elements.