Roth Sheppard Architects designed an aesthetic for Kaffe Landskap that is a modern-yet-playful composition of a simple palette of materials intended to create a sense of warmth, comfort, and balance.

Kaffe Landskap is located just north of the Union Station train tracks, at the southwest corner of the Coloradan building in Downtown Denver. Views of the RTD railway and the Union Station are the dynamic backdrop to the ‘kaffe’ experience. The space is open and airy, seamlessly blending the interior market-like atmosphere with the urban exterior environment.

‘Kaffe’ & ‘Landskap’ are Swedish words that individually translate to ‘coffee’ and ‘landscape’. When paired together, they engender the notion that this café is directly connected to the land. There is an expertise in the selection, procurement, and execution of the food and drink that is presented in a way that is welcoming. The feeling of being in Kaffe Landskap is an atmosphere of Fika – a Swedish cultural attitude that encourages us to take pause, enjoyment, and socialization. Fika is a daily ritual of enhancing community.

The soft graining of the tongue and groove solid white oak wood flooring represents the land [Landskap]. On top of the flooring rests the solid white oak timber furniture, which appear like an organized arrangement of Swedish toy blocks. Each custom-designed furniture piece is playful and heavy, yet smooth to the touch. It is clear that these natural materials are distinctly of the Landskap.

Historically, Swedish homes were warmed by a tiled wood-fired stove called a Kakelugn. Kakelugns were the pride of the home, featured in the corner of living room. They were often clad with tiles with colorful patterns. To represent this cultural heritage, Kaffe Landskap’s bakery floors and walls are clad with Swedish cement tile in colorful patterns that speak to the natural environment and craft.

The massive wood shelving, suspended over the entire length of the L-shaped coffee bar, represents the lattice of the tree canopy. The open shelving serves as a focal point used for menu and merchandise display. The effect created by the layering of the shelf components enhances its depth and reduces the expansive scale of the space.

Due to its geographical location in the northern hemisphere, Sweden is subjected to a distant relationship with the sun in the winter, and near constant exposure in the summer. It is a limited resource that is universally embraced in Swedish design. The perimeter glass in Kaffe Landskap is left entirely open to allow the sun to permeate deeply into the space. The constant warm natural light glows the surface of the materials, while the slow shift of shadows tell the passage of time. Simple pendants in a soft Swedish sage color are suspended over the large community tables; set low to create intimacy in an otherwise open space. The remainder of the lighting is inconspicuous, creating an ambient glow necessary throughout the space to invite and enchant.

Design: Roth Sheppard Architects Contractor: PG Arnold Construction Photography: James Florio

6 Images | expand images for additional detail