The designers took advantage of the property’s labyrinthic layout – the café is housed on the ground floor of a historic neoclassical building – to convey a sense of wonderment. Entering into a compact vestibule-cum-bar area, patrons go through a sequence of two intimate sitting areas before stepping out into a plant-filled courtyard where they can sit during the warmer months.

Underpinned by a muted palette of natural materials and earthy tones, the café’s interior is characterised by a tactile sensibility with hand-applied plaster walls and handcrafted joinery complemented by the restored parquet flooring and vintage wooden furniture. Rattan wall panels and bentwood chairs enhance the sense of having stepped into an age-old establishment and add vintage charm, while a plethora of lush exotic plants underscore a relaxed Mediterranean vibe. Painted in a sensuous red hue, the restroom is a welcome respite to the interior’s subdued colour scheme, as is an arched wall niche softly illuminated with red lighting.

Less stylized yet as elegant, the courtyard shares with the interior the same laidback ambience. With this being an apartment building, it was designed with both patrons and residents in mind – residents have access to the space via a fire escape staircase. A paved area demarcates the public circulation zone while a decked terrace defines the café’s sitting area with a concrete landing leading into the café’s interior and up a few steps to a separate restroom. With regards to Odessa, “there is a practice that every courtyard lives its own life and this one was no exception”, the designers remark. Case in point, the courtyard has already been used for a community-organized photography exhibition as well as for wine tasting soirees. In a post-pandemic world, more such gatherings are sure to follow.