Arôme Bakery, Shaftesbury Avenue

Chinatown, W1

Design: East JR x Rain Wu
Photography: Beth Davis

When starting designs for a commercial project, the client is usually thinking of their customers first. Our job is to ensure that their needs are met, too. A successful project allows for a balance between the two.

Arome’s move into Chinatown marks our third collaboration with the brand. Perched on Shaftesbury Avenue, this corner site, with its angled wall and limited kitchen space, was a perfect challenge. Working with designer Rain Wu, our primary focus was maximising customer seating space within the site’s limited capacity.

Warmth and texture meet practical surfacing, reflecting the meeting point between the Arome’s greatest influences of Japanese and European bakery culture, and ensuring an environment as pleasurable to work in as it is to visit. ⁠

Known and loved for their excellency of products, high-level specialty coffee, and consistent service, we knew that the site would be busy. It was important that any materials used were enduring and practical. For the most-used areas, such as the barista bar, serving hatch and wall-panelling, we chose solid and veneered oak.

Other details, such as micro-tiling around street-facing windows, and reeded glass providing privacy for prep and kitchen areas, giving a sense of space between customer and staff areas. Terracotta sheet and chrome joins combine at the serving end of the bar, providing a modern contrast to the dark veneer of the wood.