Inside-Out: A Revolution in Cafe Design

Chenchi Lin & Horace Ho's Award-Winning Cafe Design Transforms Space Perception

The design of Inside-Out is a testament to the power of abstraction in architecture. Despite the cafe's small area of 33 square meters, the design manipulates perception to make the space feel significantly larger. The designers achieved this by blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior, extending materials from inside to outside, and considering the depth of field in their visual design.

The design process involved a thorough understanding of the client's needs and a continuous cycle of study, check, and verification. The designers shared each section of the design with the client for discussion and improvement, resulting in a design that truly embodies the client's vision and passion for coffee.

The project, which started in February 2015 in Taipei, Taiwan, and finished in June 2015, employed contextual design thinking and abstract thinking. The designers studied the basic meanings of "inside" and "outside" and explored their connections to develop the design. They imagined the smell of great coffee spreading outside, leading people to enter, and the visual extension from inside to outside and vice versa.

One of the challenges during the design phase was the abstract thinking involved. The designers aimed to create a design that goes beyond visual sense and stimulates feeling and imagination. They wanted to create a space that fascinates visitors, not just through what they see, but also through what they feel and imagine.

The Inside-Out design was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2017. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.