Hakken Café and Store by Studio Kota: A Fusion of Coffee Culture and Vintage Retail in Jakarta

Nestled on the outskirts of Jakarta, Hakken Café and Store by Studio Kota offers a fresh take on contemporary mixed-use design. More than just a coffee shop, Hakken is a vibrant fusion of cozy café culture and vintage thrift retail, wrapped in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Upon entering Hakken, visitors are immediately immersed in a seamless blend of two worlds — a comfortable coffee shop experience and a curated thrift store — thoughtfully intertwined across two floors. This innovative spatial organization not only maximizes the compact site but also creates a dynamic, fluid interaction between savoring coffee and browsing for hidden treasures.

A Coffee Shop That Opens to the Street

The ground floor is dedicated primarily to the coffee shop, where the casual charm of perimeter seating sets the tone. Rugged cast-in-situ concrete benches are paired with simple wooden tables and chairs, creating a tactile dialogue between roughness and warmth. Facing the bustling street, large windows frame the café interior, offering an inviting glimpse to passersby. The architects strategically chamfered the shophouse corner to carve out a cozy outdoor terrace, simultaneously enhancing the visibility and approachability of the main entrance.

Embracing Local Traditions: The Outdoor "Lesehan" Platform

A nod to Indonesia’s traditional "lesehan" culture — casual floor-seating without chairs — Hakken's outdoor platform fosters an informal, youthful gathering space. This design element resonates strongly with Jakarta's younger generation, providing an authentic, relaxed way to enjoy coffee and connect with friends.

A Vintage Shopping Experience Upstairs

The upper floor transitions seamlessly into a vintage retail space, filled with a curated selection of clothing, collectibles, and memorabilia. Despite the shift in program, the relaxed café atmosphere persists, with restaurant-style seating integrated within the retail area. Movable display units add flexibility, allowing the layout to adapt for various exhibitions or pop-up events, reinforcing the shop’s ever-changing narrative.

Material Palette: Raw, Honest, and Inviting

Materiality plays a crucial role in shaping Hakken’s spatial experience. Light-colored wood, OSB board surfaces, and robust exposed concrete come together to craft a space that feels simultaneously raw and refined. The minimalistic choice of furniture with unfinished surfaces highlights an intentionally rugged aesthetic, creating an environment that feels genuine and unpretentious.

Façade: Day-to-Night Transformation

Hakken’s façade exemplifies thoughtful detail. Following the rhythm of the existing shophouse, it incorporates square and vault-shaped windows, enhanced by a secondary skin of perforated metal plates. During the day, the façade appears solid and monolithic; by night, it becomes a glowing, semi-transparent lantern, offering a mesmerizing interplay of light, texture, and shadow.

Hakken Café and Store transcends the typical coffee shop experience. It is a carefully curated world where café culture and vintage retail coexist effortlessly. Whether you're looking to enjoy a quiet moment over a cup of espresso or explore a collection of timeless treasures, Hakken welcomes you with its unassuming charm, honest materiality, and seamless integration of architecture and culture.

All Photographs are works of William Sutanto