Design details for the Shanghai site
Nguyen Quang Khai of Vietnam-based Nguyen Khai Architects & Associates completed the design of the % Arabica Shanghai EXPO World in 2025. The project area spans 179 square meters (1,927 square feet) in total and includes indoor and outdoor seating. The design uses white-painted mesh strips that change in size and shape to create a tunnel effect, creating a translucent white enclosure that acts as a calm center among the commercial towers surrounding the shop. The design draws inspiration from the idea of a pavilion and the brand’s philosophy. NKAA said the approach is to create a range of white-painted mesh strips, which constantly change in size and shape, to achieve a tunnel effect that brings safe and cozy feelings for every person stepping in. The shop welcomes customers from multiple directions through entrances on opposite sides, and the mesh strips act as a loosely defined partition between the indoor and outdoor seating areas while maintaining visual connections across the cafe. Runzi Zhu provided the photography for the project.
Interior layout and lighting
The interior organization uses three primary layers: furniture, the tunnel structure, and greenery. Two opposite entrance doors divide the shop between the counter and seating areas, while a curved waiting bench sits in the middle as a sign of space transition. The interior arrangement follows a symmetrical organization. Focused lighting emphasizes the counter, while a hanging Chemex-inspired lamp illuminates the indoor seating area. The changing dimensions and shapes of the mesh strips were designed to alter the tunnel appearance as customers move around the cafe. For exterior views, the white tunnel appears under different effects from the customer’s viewpoint when moving around the store, according to NKAA’s project description. Checkered planters containing small plants are interspersed among the seats to create separation between groups without enclosing them, while outdoor furniture remains visually secondary to the tunnel, according to the firm. The two opposite entrance doors divide the store into two spaces: the counter and the seating area.
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