KKI SWEETS
COMPLETED
FUNCTION: F&B, Dessert Studio, Bakery Café
AREA: 91 sqm
LOCATION: 3 Seah St, #01-01,188379, SINGAPORE
Kki Sweets is a dessert restaurant that offers and known for its beautifully handcrafted confectioneries and plated desserts. Kki Sweets founded by Kenneth Seah (husband) and Delphine Liau (wife) and the way to pronounce is keh-kee, the Japanese word of cake. The new store was designed to echo and facilitate the latest evolution of the brand. While retaining their original passion for craft, culture, and community, the current design propels these concepts further. Not only is there a shift to full table service, but there is also an aspiration to encompass showmanship as an extension of their dessert-making craft.
Two architectural devices were brought together in order to achieve this; the communal table and the stage as the highlight of this project. Both these elements exist in our common vocabulary and bring with them certain assumptions. However, the unorthodox positioning of the two together signals to the patron to leave any preconceived ideas of past dining experiences at the door.
The result is the communal table with a singular white table that seats about a dozen diners where its trapezoidal shape was derived directly from the shape of the space.Inspired by London’s 17th-century coffeehouses that encouraged sociability, also the hashigakari or the bridge-like section connecting the main Japanese Noh stage.The stage sits at a carefully calibrated height – 2m above the floor – so that it doesn’t obstruct the view but compels diners to duck while they are taking their seats, as if they were entering the stage.
The roof-life structure is designed parametrically in 3D space, allowing the designer to preview the depth when viewed from all angles. The final form is then rationalized to a few sets of patterns that span the structure. By adding overlapping points and material reliefs for the final structure made of out Tyvek panels that fold inwards towards the centre of the table, creating a triangular origami-like pattern. Each fold matches the positions of the seats. Coming up is a plan to incorporate a projector into the table, thus transforming each fold into a personal show for each diner. Organically-shaped holes in the table at the seating-end allow for potted plants to pierce through to bring in nature as well as for images.
The thin-edged surface transitions from a plating station in the kitchen to the tea bar and finally, tapering out-wide, the dining area. A stunning feature in the open-plan kitchen and dining area is the glass wall with a mirrored finish that separates the two spaces. The wall fades towards the center, creating an illusion of depth and providing an uninterrupted view of the dessert preparations in the kitchen. The mirrored finish adds a touch of elegance and modernity to the overall look, while also amplifying the natural light in both areas. It's a clever design that not only serves its practical purpose of separating the spaces but also enhances the aesthetic appeal of the room. As guests gather in the dining area, they can enjoy the spectacle of mouth-watering desserts being created just inches away.
Image Gallery
CREDITS
This project appeared on Home and Decor SG, Nov 2020
CLIENT: KKI SWEETS
PHOTOGRAPHY: FRAMESG