Pallavi Dean’s Roar studio has fused a pared-back design with striking raw accents for the interior of homegrown Emirati brand Drop Coffee’s location in Dubai’s blue-chip Dar Al Wasl Mall.

Roar was asked to create a minimal space, which accommodates the flow of customers coming from the two different entrances – one connected to the outdoors and the other to the indoors of the mall.

Adjacent to the central bar, two symmetrical retail shelves flank both sides of the mall entrance, echoing the same framing language complemented with down-lit features.

The bar itself gives the illusion to be floating as a result of a lighted skirting made out of glass blocks and supported by a wooden structure, which runs across the base. As well as being a very durable surface, the reflective, stainless-steel countertop adds to this levity while mirroring the decks left exposed on the ceiling.

A variety of seating options – from bar stools to freestanding tables and chairs that can be pulled together for larger groups as well as a sofa and a purpose-built banquette – combined with distinctive hints of colour, gently disrupt the overall minimalist aesthetic.

Next to the standing area, a glass-block wall has been built to enclose a small kitchen, allowing the natural light to flood in from the nearby outdoor access while also shaping interesting silhouettes when the staff uses the space.

Another key feature emerges behind the banquette area where an assortment of white broken tiles have been carefully arranged to form a playful wall ornament.

Design: Roar Photography: The Oculis Project

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