Fika
SITE ANALYSIS
MASTER PLANNING
ARCHITECTURE
DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
INTERIORS
ART & DESIGN
BRANDING
LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA
SIZE: 500 SFT
STATUS: COMPLETED
PROGRAM: Architectural interiors of a branded Fika Kafe within an automotive dealership.
BDG has designed many unique coffee shops over the years, and in doing so we have devoted an enormous amount of study to what separates the good cafes from the great, and the great cafes from the treasured. Because coffee really is so much more than a beverage — it’s a ritual, found across many cultures and regions across the world.
The FIKA Kafe we designed is a unique coffee shop, for two reasons: The first — it's located inside Galpin Motors' new Volvo flagship in Los Angeles. The second — it offers the most impressive array of Swedish pastries and chocolate you could imagine. Together, they offer a delightful surprise in an unexpected place.
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The brand name, Fika, is drawn from the Swedish tradition of building an intentional pause into one's day to step away from what you're doing, and indulge in a coffee and sweets. It’s a break, by design, to return your mind to neutral and shake off any bad energy.
As architects, we constantly consider where those “break out” elements can be designed into a space or environment, and so the concept of “fika” resonated greatly with us. In considering the typical car shopping experience from the perspective of buyers, it became obvious that there are moments during that process in which a pause is a positive opportunity — a chance to have a short reset before making a big decision.
Where design supports function is baseline, but where design supports emotional harmony is the hospitality architecture we thrive on.
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