Located in Shanghai’s Columbia Circle, the cafe is set in the heart of a vibrant commercial and office hub of newly transformed colonial and industrial buildings. With the aim to further connect the existing surroundings, the project literally punctures through one of the site’s central buildings and reveals itself as a thoroughfare. Expressed as a tunnel and accessible from both sides, the cafe is as much a destination as a daily shortcut through the development. With the bars placed in the middle, baristas work and interact seamlessly with customers on both sides. Fully open, the space is flooded with natural light and welcomes users under its gentle curves. Designed with a simple material palette, the tunnel is lined with sheets of seamless solid surface panels, curving and folding to make seating and ledges, recessing into cavities to receive lighting fixtures. The soft beige panels are custom produced and individually hand curved in a local factory and are polished on site.