Designed by New Almaty Architects Workshop (NAAW)

Photography by Damir Otegen

Origin and meaning of café

Julius cafe is a small specialty coffee shop in the center of Almaty. The client for the project is ABR Group, which is well known in Kazakhstan for paying great attention to interior design in their projects. The starting point for the Julius Cafe interior concept was a red La Marzocco coffee machine, which the client had purchased long before the project began. We thought building a coffee shop interior was symbolic of the coffee machine. Thus appeared the red door, which reminded us of the iconic Parisian bar Little Red Door and all the other small red accents, including the logo and the identity.

Click here to see other Asian cafes

A coffee sanctuary

The desire to turn this small space into a little “coffee sanctuary” led us to the chamber-like, coffee-and-milk colored wood paneling, ceiling vaults, and brick floor which starts outside from steps and transitions to a bar counter. We used German Feldhaus clinker bricks in the project. The material is strong and hard-wearing enough for a floor covering, but at the same time cozy and pleasant to the touch to serve as a worktop.

Design challenges of the cafe

The significant challenge in the project was the small size of the restaurant. To accommodate the desired number of guests, we used deep windowsills as part of the seating and placed a small wall-hung side table along the bench with sculpture-like iconic e-15 stools. The two large tables by the windows are designed to provide space for larger companies. Finally, half-bar & traditional stools allow guests to sit at a wide bar counter. Despite the room’s modest size, it was important for us to pay sufficient attention to the bar, where the main coffee-making action will take place. The contact bar gives visitors the opportunity to watch the process of brewing coffee as a performance.

Art integration with the café

Local artist Nurbol Nurakhmet’s charcoal sketch on the wall adds a special subtlety to the atmosphere. Danish brand Gubi chairs are used in the project, and tables and wood panels are made online according to our design by local craftsmen.

Project location: Julius Cafe / Kazakhstan

Kabanbay Batyr St 83, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan

About the Architects

NAAW is a female-led architectural practice specializing in residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Founded in 2019 by Elvira Bakubayeva and Aisulu Uali, the studio is on a mission to employ research-based and interdisciplinary methods of design to reflect and shape contemporary Kazakhstani architectural identity.

The studio also offers expert design services globally, providing distinctive and thoughtful conceptual solutions.

Published with BowerBird