mathieu lehanneur formulates café artscience between harvard and MIT

mathieu lehanneur formulates café artscience between harvard and MIT
all photos © phase one photography

a restaurant + auditorium + bar + concept shop + art gallery come together in a 1000 m2 multi-purpose venue to host scientific, intellectual and artistic discussions. a venture between french designer mathieu lehanneur and american scientist and harvard professor david edwards, ‘café artscience’ stands as the missing link between scientific laboratory and literary café — a space in which artists, investors, scholars and students can gather together in a relaxed environment to hash out tomorrow’s world.

large green velvet ribbon sofas offer a comfortable place to sit, eat, discuss and reflect

positioned between harvard university and MIT in cambridge, massachusetts, ‘café artscience’ has been envisioned without any walls or partitions. rather, lehanneur has employed fit-to-live objects to demarcate the intended flow and functions of its diverse programs.

general view of café artscience which includes a small designs shop

a black and enigmatic circular enclosure, donning a pattern of slate honeycombs —  a recurring motif throughout — stands at the centre of the interior. geometrically symbolizing the collective intelligence of bees, these perfectly-shaped hexagonal panels can be used for leaving comments, and announcing forthcoming activities. this individualized zone, with VIP room, is equipped to accommodate a range of events including conferences, creative workshops, private dinners…

the space has been designed to accommodates conferences, creative workshops, private dinners etc.

the bar is designed with an undulating veil of white cement, where breakfast, along side experimental cocktails, are served from noon to evening. tables throughout can be used for professional meetings, as well as for sampling gourmet menus; while the lush green velvet sofas offer a place of rest and are a synonym for comfort and encounters.

a circular structure enclosure set to host conferences, workshops and private dinners, stands at the centre of the stage

‘the greatest innovations and discoveries have rarely taken shape behind a desk. archimedes was in his bath, newton beneath an apple tree and steve jobs in a garage. café artscience would have put these three great minds on the same sofa!‘, mathieu lehanneur laughs. ‘our brain has as much need for intellectual stimulation as pleasure. it was time to unite these two hemispheres and to develop them in tandem’  he explains mathieu lehanneur who is undertaking a new chapter in the continuity of his quest for new ergonomic designs for objects and venues, for our contemporary requirements.

café artscience illuminated by night

‘café artscience’ has been conceived to act as a tool in which to formulate ideas: from meeting to collaboration, from intuition to project, brainstorming to business planning and shop, it is set to become an essential hub for boston’s clever minds.

café artscience cambridge