Colour Drama: Kori Ice Cream by Architects EAT.

For the ice cream shop that offers a traditional Japanese palette with a contemporary interpretation, the design of Kori Ice Cream looks to connect the physical store to its menu and brand values. Through the dramatic use of colour, Architects EAT created a space that feels playful and electric, and almost 2D—akin to a street poster.

Situated on Melbourne’s Glenferrie Road, the design team referenced Japanese kawaii culture and the hyperpop music movement to create a graphically and visually strong space. Peering into the store is like staring at a poster you might see plastered along a Melbourne laneway, as street art and curbside posters became critical references for the design process.

A bold salmon-coloured stripe on the building’s heritage façade follows inside, dousing one-half of the shop in the same shade from floor to ceiling. Cabinets, shelving, an air conditioning unit and even the Sir Burley stool’s from Dowel Jones follow suit. Devoid of other visual clutter, the simple colour choice creates a striking impact.

Outside, not only has the “stripe” helped develop a visual identity for the store on the competitive Glenferrie Road, it’s also brought the presence of the heritage façade back into conversation.

A galvanised steel bench is a striking feature of the project. With the omission of perspex screens typical of an ice cream store, there is an immediate intimacy created between patron and staff. The piece of joinery is meticulously planned to house all of the equipment, ice cream, cutlery, electronics and storage. A truly empathetic design, Architects EAT worked with many prototypes to get the counter right, down to the finest detail.

“Once a customer enters the store, the staff never have to turn their back to finish serving the customer—everything they need is housed in the bench,” explains the design team. “The counter becomes a physical representation of the brand values of Japanese hospitality.”

'Tetsujin' Japanese Restaurant by Architects EAT in Melbourne.

The visual language for the brand and space drew inspiration from the culture of machines in Japan from trains and vending machines to robots and cameras...

[Images courtesy of Architects EAT. Photography by Shannon Mcgrath.]