What does this interior design make you think about? Certainly not the Baroque era, yet that is exactly the main source of inspiration chosen by London-based atelier Y A O studio to design this interesting project for Milk Tea & Pearl. The client’s request was pretty simple: to create a refreshing memorable space. The first memorable thing is probably the unusual context, a cargo container located within a temporary shopping centre in Hackney, inspired by sea transportation. Due to the tiny and not livable space of the container, the studio needed a trick to make the interior look wider, and that’s what make the Baroque era come up, as it was the time where the first architecture optical illusions were created to make spaces seem higher. Atelier Y A O reinterpreted that principles on a geometrical basis by using lines to bring the container a certain openness.

The space is divided in two: the white and blue front part, reminding of a seaside location, is for clients; the white and yellow rear part, reminding of a beach, is for employees and bar equipment. The yellow hue is inserted in the second half of the venue with an anamorphic installation painted with fluorescent varnish and signed by Spanish artist Alberto Torres Hernandez: the work represents the core element of the interior, whose decoration is arranged in order not to be in the installation’s way. Each piece of furniture of the bar was custom designed, wall-table and stools included: the studio worked side by side with local artisans and producers to supervise any aspect of the pieces, from design to finishings.

Despite the tiny surface of just 28 square meters, the space appears as beautiful as efficient, two qualities that also characterize the building process of the project itself which lasted only 9 days, divided into three phases going on for three days each.

INFO: www.y-a-o.com

PHOTO COURTESY: atelier Y A O