FARINE

DESIGN CONCEPT

The FARINE concept is conceived as a contemporary coffee and bakery experience that synthesizes European café culture with the fluidity of high-traffic commercial spaces. The design operates as a soft, luminous “island” within shopping centers and transit nodes, drawing attention through warm materials, restrained branding, and an open interface to the public realm. The project is replicable across multiple countries, yet calibrated to remain visually light, easy to install, and highly adaptable to differing mall envelopes.

The architectural language blends a refined urban café identity with subtle references to craft and artisanal baking. Clear volumetric frames, generous façades, and integrated greenery are employed to create a recognizable visual signature while preserving sightlines and permeability. FARINE and Costa Coffee coexist in a coordinated dual-brand strategy, articulated through complementary color fields and shared furniture typologies that maintain a coherent spatial narrative.

LAYOUT AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION

The spatial layout is characterized by a linear service front coupled with an open seating field that spills into the circulation areas of the host building. The counter line is anchored by refrigerated displays and a central preparation zone, ensuring direct visual contact between baristas and customers. This arrangement optimizes queuing, impulse purchasing, and operational efficiency while keeping back-of-house components compact and concealed.

Seating is configured as a flexible grid of two- and four-person tables, allowing rapid reconfiguration for different user groups and peak hours. Peripheral benches and low partitions subtly define the café boundary without creating hard enclosures, encouraging visual continuity and an inviting atmosphere. Circulation is intuitive, with clear access to ordering points, pick-up zones, and transitional seating for short stays.

MATERIALITY AND COLOR PALETTE

The material palette balances durability with a soft, welcoming tactility. Terrazzo-effect flooring delineates the café area and introduces a playful yet robust surface suitable for high traffic. Vertical planes combine light neutral cladding with warm beige wainscoting, reinforcing a sense of cleanliness and brightness. Timber tones in tabletops and some seating elements provide warmth and a subtle artisanal character.

Brand identity is expressed through controlled accent colors: warm burgundy panels signal the Costa Coffee component, while soft creams and muted pinks identify FARINE’s bakery dimension. These chromatic fields appear on wall backdrops, menu bands, and graphic panels, providing legibility without visual overload. Black framed refrigerated units and discreet metallic trims lend technical precision and highlight the freshness of the products.

LIGHTING AND ATMOSPHERE

Lighting is conceived as a key tool to differentiate the café from the surrounding mall environment. Integrated linear luminaires in the ceiling soffit and under the main signage band provide uniform, glare-free illumination of the counter and seating areas. This consistent brightness emphasizes cleanliness and product visibility while reinforcing the horizontal geometry of the façade.

Accent lighting is introduced through spot fixtures and decorative pendants in selected zones, creating focal points over key display areas and seating clusters. The combination of warm white color temperature and matte reflective surfaces avoids harsh contrasts, resulting in a comfortable, domesticated atmosphere that contrasts with the more generic commercial lighting of adjacent corridors.

BRANDING, GRAPHICS AND DETAILING

Brand visibility is achieved through large, backlit logotypes positioned on a continuous fascia that unifies the different fronts. Graphic panels with product photography and concise messages punctuate the back wall, functioning both as signage and atmospheric backdrop. These panels are modular, enabling easy adaptation to local promotions and seasonal campaigns.

Greenery integrated along the upper edge of the counter façade introduces a subtle biophilic element, softening the transition between the built frame and the open void of the mall. Furniture details, such as cross-back chairs and light metal bases, contribute to a recognizable identity while remaining neutral enough to coexist with both brands. All fixtures are designed as repeatable modules, controlling costs and ensuring consistency across multiple international locations.

SUSTAINABILITY AND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY

Sustainability is addressed through both material choices and operational logic. The project privileges durable, low-maintenance finishes that extend lifecycle and reduce replacement frequency, such as composite terrazzo flooring and laminated work surfaces. Modular counters and furniture are designed for disassembly, allowing components to be reused or reconfigured when units relocate or undergo refurbishment.

Integrated LED lighting throughout the scheme reduces energy consumption and minimizes heat gain in already conditioned mall environments. Open layouts without full-height enclosures leverage existing HVAC systems, avoiding redundant air-conditioning installations. Where possible, specifications favor FSC-certified wood elements and recyclable metal frames, while the transparent merchandising strategy supports reduced waste by aligning production volumes with clearly observable customer demand.