this compact box on japanese rooftop converts into tiny coffee shop

unveiling ‘miharashi coffee’ by TD atelier

‘miharashi coffee’ is a box-like structure that unfolds to transform into a tiny coffee shop.TD atelier has installed this compact piece of furniture on the rooftop of a five-story hotel in kyoto, japan, in a bid to revive a previously unused space. the final design contains all the necessary equipment — like coffee machines, refrigerator, sink — as well as a wooden stand where people can order and pick up their drinks.
all images by TD atelier

‘miharashi’ means ‘a good view’

TD atelier‘s focus was to form a simple yet vivid design to add new life to the hotel’s roof. well, luckily, the building is located among shorter blocks of flats to the north and east sides, thus providing visitors with unobstructed views. when stored, ‘miharashi coffee’ takes shape as a simple box finished in gloss white and pastel green. to convert this toy-box construction into a small shop, one needs to simply drag the door. by opening the door, a wall including kitchen equipment is unfolded, while the roof is unwrapped, doubling the size of the total structure. around the structure, visitors can drink a cafe, all the while appreciating a pleasant breeze that usually the fast daily pace prevents them from enjoying.

use it just by opening the door

pull out the roof to transform into a shop

when transformed into a shop, it has a lively design like a toy box

it becomes very compact when folded

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it adds new features to the rooftop

a full-fledged espresso machine is installed inside

the white outer wall blends in with the blue sky

the door has a shelf on which one can put tools for brewing coffee or tea

drawing. various things are stored compactly

project info:

name: miharashi coffee
designer: TD-atelier

leading designer: tada masaharu

location: kyoto, japan

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom