Tokyo’s unique Blue Bottle Cafe offers a safe experience for introverts & coffee lovers!




If I want to be more productive, I usually go work in a cafe to have a change of space or do a coffee run as a reward for finishing my tasks. But ever since the pandemic started, it has almost been impossible to work in a cafe but it has also become trickier to pick up coffee while making sure sanitizer doesn’t get into it! But this Blue Bottle Coffee pop-up in Shibuya, Tokyo is making that little normal part of our lives safer by creating a contactless experience to get our coffees using AI robots.

The interior architecture is designed to utilize the technology of AI cafe robot ‘Root C’ which is a service that lets you order from a screen and pick up your fresh coffee from a capsule. There are multiple slots that make up a whole wall of lockers and it almost looks like capsule hotels but tinier for your drink!

Designed by the Schema Architectural Plan, the capsules resemble a beehive. Wood is used to add warmth and translucent acrylic that covers the capsule is inspired by the glow of honey. It is designed to make you feel comfortable even if you are staying for a short time, taking home a drink.

It is a simple way to adapt to the demand for contactless service and safety while still making it a pleasant experience (especially when compared to a drive-thru!). When the barista places the coffee in the locker, the capsule glows to alert you that you can pick up your drink.

The ordering and receiving locker system is only available in Blue Bottle’s Shibuya location for now. Not only does it reduce the risk of transmission and protect people, but it is also a blessing for introverts in all circumstances – ordering without interacting with anyone.

Designer: Schema Architectural Plan, New Innovations, and Blue Bottle Coffee

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The Top 10 Starbucks Cafes that boast innovative architecture + the craft of coffee!

Everyone loves a cup of Starbucks coffee, at least most of us do! Not only that, but visiting a Starbucks store, having your name misspelled on your cup, and then finally feeling that caffeine kick once you sip on your favorite coffee of choice, is a whole experience by itself as well. I, for one, love visiting new Starbucks coffee shops all the time, because each one has a unique aesthetic and feel to it. From a greenhouse-style Starbucks to a Starbucks cafe built from recycled shipping containers, we’ve curated some innovative and exciting Starbucks store designs that will truly blow you away! These are sure to be added to every coffee lover’s must-visit list!

Food trucks have become quite popular these days! And this Starbucks Truck by Zoi Karagouni seems like a really cool idea to me. Designed as a pop-up store, this compact little truck could be set up anywhere, making Starbucks even more accessible!

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has stacked 29 recycled shipping containers to make a Starbucks coffee shop alongside a shopping center in Hualien, Taiwan. The white containers have been put together to create a 320-square-meter cafe!

A greenhouse-style Starbucks opened up in Western Tokyo last year! The cute cafe displays digital flora throughout the year. Decorated with flower beds, and real plants as such fuchsia, petunia, bellflower, and more, the store is a beautiful floral space.

This four-story, 43,000 square feet cafe in Chicago is extremely impressive…and it is also the largest Starbucks in the world! The large roastery roasts, brews, and packages Starbucks reserve coffees from all over the world!

Liz Muller designed this Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the meatpacking district of New York. The interiors of the store celebrate the craft of coffee, as well as the history and heritage of the meatpacking district.

Starbucks opened its first signing store in Tokyo, Japan! The coffee shop celebrates sign language and the deaf culture through bright artwork and smart designs.

Kengo Kuma designed a beautiful Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo, Japan. It boasts a lightwood exterior, and a ceiling made up of geometric tiles inspired by the art of origami.

This Starbucks store in Milan, Italy is just exquisite! Located in a historic building in Milan’s Grandiose Piazza Cordusio, the store has been designed with great detail and care, and it truly comes through.

Designed by Thiago Rocha, this Starbucks pop-up store concept could work well for parks and other open public spaces. In a world where space is becoming a premium, pop-up booths like these could really work!

Starbucks has created its first-ever in-store AR experience at its Shanghai roastery. A custom roastery smartphone app will guide customers throughout the store, giving them a tour of the store’s equipment, and also provide them with a digital menu.