Adjacent to Jakarta’s CBD, the Senopati area has some of the city’s hippest haunts and eateries – all jostling for one’s attention with varying degrees of success. A recent standout is 1/15 (pronounced “one-fifteenth”) Coffee Senopati. The cult-favourite indie brand’s fifth outlet, it is a cosy respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Below, a closer look at this design/F&B gem.
Designed by Bali-based ZXC Studio, it offers authentic Indonesian coffees and contemporary takes on the archipelago’s most-loved comfort foods. Senopati’s hot, humid, noisy and dusty environment, which makes outdoor dining unfeasible, is the bane of natural ventilation, as evidenced by the rows of air-conditioned F&B establishments.
Choosing not to take the easy route, ZXC Studio collaborated with woven material specialist Byo Living to develop a synthetic rattan screen for 1/15 Coffee Senopati’s front and the sides. According to the time of day, its mechanically controlled, pivoting panels regulate the building’s apertures to provide shade and filter out the sun.
“The custom woven pattern is a soft, welcoming face on the street that resonates with Indonesia’s craft tradition,” says Zhi Xiong Chan, founder of ZXC Studio.
The rattan concept also unifies the outside with the interior. The full-height screen in the lobby made of synthetic rattan with a bespoke weave pattern constructed from a series of overlapping grids suggests depth and shifting perspectives.
It offers a glimpse of what’s on the other side as diners are presented with the theatricality of coffee making and food preparation via a wide opening in the far wall, separated only by open shelves lined with jars of condiment and spices.
Other indoor elements such as the oversized lampshades suspended from the ceiling use natural rattan. The largest hangs above the long communal table at the centre of the dining area.
The coffee station displays a piece by local photographer Chris Bunjamin.
Off to its sides, a series of smaller ones hangs above the banquettes, bathing the space in a golden hue and casting a shadow play that makes for a unique coffee drinking experience.
This article first appeared in Home & Decor