COFFEE DINO

The client commissioned a new coffee shop concept for the lobby of a commercial office building in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. Having previously worked with the design team on their office design and build, the client sought to create a distinctly new brand that would feel approachable, youthful, and engaging without leaning into traditional corporate aesthetics. 

The brief involved creating a pilot concept in a unique lobby that has spatial and regulatory limitations. The site is highly visible, with constant foot traffic and constraints on fixed furniture due to landlord regulations. The brand identity revolves around a friendly blue dinosaur, aiming to stimulate creativity and provide a relaxed gathering space for the building’s young, dynamic community. 

Project Name: Coffee Dino 

Location: The Bay Hub, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong 

Completion Date: May 2025 

Awards: Home Journal AWARDS 2025, SILVER WINNER

Coffee Dino is a playful, light-filled café designed as a retreat within an office building. The design centres around the concept of a resting dinosaur with the café bar itself forming the dino’s silhouette - exuding warmth and approachability in an otherwise formal commercial setting. 

The cafe design was developed using a minimal and cost-conscious material strategy with a single large piece of joinery prefabricated off-site in China. Materials such as concrete paint and simple metal details created a subtle industrial tone while maintaining soft lines and a refined look appropriate for the building’s existing lobby design. 

Key constraints included limited budget, no fixed furniture allowed, a tight 3-week design and build timeline and navigating the existing infrastructure like a large, central column. 

Despite this, the team’s deep familiarity with the building and its context - gained through previous projects - informed a solution that effectively used loose furniture, natural light, and strategic placements to create a comfortable area for informal meetings and focused solo work. A magnetic, reusable menu wraps around the column, and the LED-lit dinosaur head doubles as signage and sculptural lighting - visible even from the nearby sports stadium and streets to effectively draw attention. The success of this pilot concept has already led to plans for expansion.