% Arabica Shanghai EXPO World by Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates

A Minimalist Pavilion-Inspired Coffee Experience in the Heart of Shanghai

Located within a bustling district filled with commercial towers and office buildings, the % Arabica Shanghai EXPO World café by Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates redefines the coffee retail experience through minimalist architecture, spatial clarity, and a signature pavilion-inspired design. Completed in 2025 with a compact yet efficient footprint of 179 m², the project creates a serene escape for urban dwellers while maintaining the brand’s globally recognized aesthetic built on simplicity, purity, and crafted detail.

A Pavilion Concept Rooted in Brand Philosophy

The design draws inspiration from the idea of a lightweight pavilion, expressing the core philosophy of % Arabica: clarity, openness, and human-centered comfort. The architects developed a series of white-painted mesh strips, subtly shifting in size and curvature, to form a sculptural tunnel-like envelope. This visually dynamic framework delivers a sense of safety and softness, guiding customers inward while offering a balanced threshold between the city and the interior sanctuary.

The mesh material itself plays a crucial role—its carefully calibrated opacity defines an ambiguous partition that blurs indoor and outdoor boundaries. This allows customers to experience both privacy and openness without heavy solid walls, creating a unique spatial experience for a small-format café.

A Symmetrical Interior Organized into Layers

Inside, the architecture unfolds through three distinct layers:

1. Furniture
2. The Tunnel Structure
3. Integrated Greenery

These elements follow a symmetrical layout, delivering a clean, structured, and easily navigable environment. Two opposing entry points divide the café into a counter zone and a seating area, with a curved central waiting bench marking the natural transition between the two.

The counter acts as a visual focal point—a bright, spotlighted island—while the indoor seating area glows under a custom hanging Chemex-inspired lamp, reinforcing the brand’s connection to craft coffee culture.

Indoor–Outdoor Continuity Through Lightness and Design

From the exterior, the white tunnel transforms with every shift of perspective. Customers walking around the café witness a gradient of changing silhouettes as the mesh strips produce dynamic layers of shadow, depth, and movement.

Outdoor seating is purposefully understated, supporting rather than overshadowing the central design concept. Lightweight furniture maintains the minimalist brand identity, while checkered planters with small-scale greenery create natural buffers between seating groups, ensuring comfort and privacy. These softened boundaries reinforce the café’s mission: to offer a peaceful oasis within a high-density urban environment.

A Calm and Contemporary Urban Retreat

% Arabica Shanghai EXPO World successfully captures the brand’s philosophy through elegant geometry, seamless transitions, and a soothing material palette. Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates create a modern urban retreat—one that invites customers to slow down, enjoy their surroundings, and experience coffee in a thoughtfully designed architectural setting.

All photographs are works of Runzi Zhu