Design and architecture magazine Wallpaper has included Veneziano Coffee Richmond in it’s The world’s best coffee shops for design lovers list.
Veneziano opened the Melbourne café to the public on 30 July. Located on River Street in Richmond, the venue features an 80-seat dining space, roastery and barista training studio all under the one roof.
It was the only Australian café to make the list. Other credited designs include Coffeebar in the United States, Blue Bottle in Japan, Stories in the United Kingdom, and Starbucks Coffee Laboratory in the Netherlands.
“Our new flagship store [pushes] the boundaries of coffee and hospitality, as a testing ground for our new products,” Managing Director Craig Dickson says. “It presents the perfect opportunity to showcase the brand as an end-to-end specialty experience for coffee lovers and those keen to learn more.”
“There’s not too many venues like this where you can have a quality coffee experience while seeing green beans enter the building, roasters in action, forklifts moving about, and the packing line in full swing. Veneziano has always been transparent in its processes but this opens it up on a whole new level.”
Technê Architecture and Interior Design is the firm responsible for the successful design of the Veneziano Coffee Richmond. Technê’s Thandi Stirling says the design of the café contributes to the city’s vibrant coffee culture.
“The key with the transformation was to utilise the large space to focus on the coffee and allow patrons to engage with the production process. The first thing we did was get the brew bar right, one of the most prominent features when you step in the door,” Thandi Stirling says.
“Materiality was important to get right too. We’ve used a brushed stainless-steel bench top in direct reference to the refined industrial look we wanted to achieve. It features curved and radius corners and makes service for baristas easy, and allows for direct engagement with customers.”
Technê has kept the existing concrete floors of the warehouse which is complemented by the addition of steel and timber.
“We want the customers to feel that they’re part of the warehouse experience. They are the end result of Veneziano’s production process so to have them feel like they’re immersed in the experience was important,” Thandi says.
To see the full list of international cafés to make the list, click here.
