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Night
Maximizing the visibility of an unshaded East facing exterior storefront for a business that has both day and night time traffic is an undeniable design challenge. This one is successful because of some expert decision making. Someone decided to let the outdoor seating, exterior building face and expansive glass do the talking during the day and the interior of the space provide visual interest at night. A theatrical trick was used to accomplish this, and frankly I would like to know how the designer got the client to cooperate as it was a pretty bold thing to do in this application. Here is what was done:
- All of the interior walls in the place are painted black which has a two fold affect.
- During the day storefront reflections are , if not eliminated – notice the car reflected in the daytime window – at least minimized.
- The windows read as an opaque gloss black surface,
- rendering visibility into the shop nil,
- and forcing the retail message to be delivered on the exterior.
- This is done simply and directly by using clear white signage on the glass,
- marking the entry with architectural awnings,
- and installing a nicely contrasting outdoor seating area.
- The place clearly has food.
- At night the interior takes over.
- The black walls provide a backdrop for the merchandise which works with the store lighting as a set does with stage lights.
- No one walking or driving can miss the place.
- The food display counters have visual presence and even begin to suggest what is on the menu.
- The candle lit outdoor tables extend the interior,
- and suggest more space. I am sorry this does not show up too well in the photo.
- The place is so busy that I have been unable to get a night time photo without the parked cars. The daytime photo was taken before they open.