commaa
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
2024

A cafe and a cultural space where coffee meets art and architecture

© Otto Ng

commaa is a cafe and a cultural space inside LAAB Architects’ new design studio in the Tai Ping Shan neighborhood in Hong Kong.

Known for its unique blend of traditional and contemporary art scene, the Tai Ping Shan neighborhood has become a gathering spot for artists and creatives.

At the turn of LAAB’s 10th anniversary, the art and architecture collective decided to open up part of their new studio for public engagement, making architecture and art closer to everyday life for everyone.

© Otto Ng
© Otto Ng

a fluid boundary between work and life

Nested within LAAB’s studio, commaa is situated between the main office and the meetings rooms. A wooden bookshelf next to the counter doubles up as a door that connects LAAB’s studio with commaa.

© Otto Ng

a pause, a connection

Like a comma in speech, the vision of commaa is to offer people a moment of pause, while providing a space for connection through cultural events.

The spatial design embodies two elements from this vision: a pause and a connection.

© Otto Ng

offering a moment of pause

To offer a moment of pause, the design of commaa embodies a soft, muted, and minimal visual language with oak and white surface.

The 4.2m-wide cantilevered counter offers an unobstructed view of baristas’ performance. By arranging most coffee equipment at the back, the decluttered counter offers a sense of spatial clarity and facilitates interaction between guests and baristas.

© Otto Ng
© Otto Ng

Behind the counter, a digital menu designed and made by LAAB embeds LED pixels in a wood surface, integrating media information smoothly with natural material. The content of the digital menu can be changed to adapt to different events.

© Otto Ng
© Otto Ng

 

The furniture at commaa is arranged for two different personalities — for people seeking some quiet and alone time, there are seats near the window; for people who want social interaction, there are two big communal tables in the middle of the room.

© Otto Ng

connecting coffee with art and architecture

An abbreviation for “coffee meets art and architecture” and “a community for art and architecture,” commaa operates as a coffee shop on a daily basis but it can also be transformed into an event space hosting exhibition, movie screening, or pop-up retail for different cultural happenings.

A mix of stools, chairs, and benches are used at commaa to allow flexible reconfiguration for different events. There is a large white wall for exhibition, lit by ERCO lighting. A flexible shelving system is built on the other end to offer space for pop-up retails.

© Otto Ng
©Otto Ng

Since its opening in March 2024, commaa has organized multiple workshops and exhibitions, including a retrospective exhibition on LAAB’s 10-year journey of making art and architecture, a documentary screening and an exhibition on the life of the revered Swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz, a retail exhibition co-organized with Midway Shop on Japanese crafts, the opening party for the first Hong Kong Open House, and mapping Hong Kong Brutalist architecture and beyond.

© Otto Ng
© Otto Ng

Creative Direction, Interior, Branding, Exhibition

2024

Tai Ping Shan, Sheung Wan

~1,000 sqft

Otto Ng, Kevin Chau, Catherine Cheng, Sofie Chan, Sam Leung, Venus Lung, Raphael Kwok, Nathan Tsang, Matthew Chan, Charis Liu, Louis Leung, Man Chow, Linus Kung, Katie Lai, Tenshi Cheung, Mandy Sin