Will&Co Bondi Coffee House by Alexander &CO.

View to staff kitchen with roastery and coffee tins storage.

Alexander &Co’s refurbishment of a beachside building into the experimental Headquarters of Will&Co is defined by a simple coastal palette, inspired by young entrepreneurship and street art. Nestled in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the interior is a physical manifestation of the coffee houses’ original, boutique personality.

The interior is conceived as a shapeshifter, constantly reimagining itself to suit the range of activities unfolding within its walls. Will&Co is the ultimate hybrid spatial typology, seamlessly combining commercial requirements of the business with education and community aspects – a space for a showroom, a training venue, a working café, a roastery overlayed with an exercise in branding.

Alexander &Co explain they aimed to “create something familiarly [with] Will&Co, yet edgy and innovative”, taking inspiration from a range of artists including Donald Judd and Rachel Whiteread. The interior scheme is simple but interesting – a focus on layered textures and curious use of materials is the key focus of the project. There is an interesting tension that exists between warm and cool tones such as brown leather and polished timber paired with cool blue tones.

The blue monolithic Marblo resin counter is a dominating voice within the design, acting as the main character within the space. Its solid, chunky form acts as a counterbalance to textured brick walls, introducing a distinctly old-school 90s vibe. A dichroic film on the glass partition acts as an artwork and a privacy screen, an unexpected element within the otherwise neutral scheme that tints the adjacent decor. A fully retractable façade blurs the boundary between the street and the interior, welcoming all the passers-by to venture inside.

Alexander &Co describe Will&Co Bondi Beach as a “product of a design experiment; a purpose-designed venue for something very different”. Interesting use of materials and a creative and playful interpretation of space embodies the fresh and entrepreneurial voice of the company.

Stairs to mezzanine meeting space leading to private office room concealed behind dichroic glass.

[Images courtesy of Alexander &CO. Photography by Anson Smart. Editorial styling by Claire Delmar.]