Morning Grind: 8 Marble Coffee Bars That Awaken Your Senses

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In architecture and design, marble often indicates prestige and luxury. Weighted, dense and impenetrable, it radiates and sparkles with immaculacy. The material is revered for deeply historic reasons as well as for its aesthetic properties. It has a certain surface translucency, which renders a visible depth beyond just hard rock. Additionally, the extremely varied hues and patterns of marble make it a favorable decorative material, as it can naturally take on gray, pink and even reddish tones.

Unsurprisingly, third-wave coffee culture has welcomed marble with open arms. Many of these projects also feature brass and copper hardware, which add to the depth and luxury of their material palettes. These spectacular projects use marble in all its integrity, resulting in spaces that awaken your senses upon entering — with or without coffee. While not all strictly cafes, at any one of these shops you can relish in the experience of sipping coffee over a thick slab of marble. These sophisticated hangouts are sure to up the glam factor of any morning grind.

Royal Exchange Grind by Biasol: Design Studio, London, United Kingdom

Step into Royal Exchange Grind and you will immediately witness refined London elegance. This sleek espresso and cocktail bar contains a stunning material palette, combining Carrara marble counters with matte-brass hardware. Biasol: Design Studio worked with a local heritage architect to develop a minimalist interior that cherishes the site’s past.

Paradisoby NOMOS architects, Geneva, Switzerland

Paradiso is located in a converted bicycle workshop amidst a previously industrial area of Geneva. The coffee shop was designed to create a geometrical language — with deliberately curved edges, the counter and floor create fluidity and movement. Paradiso’s white Carrara marble bar sits atop black, slotted wooden boards.

Small Victory Bread + Coffee by Leckie Studio Architecture + Design, Vancouver, Canada

At Small Victory Bread + Coffee, a Carrara marble coffee bar leaps out into the heart of the café. The bar facilitates a communal ambiance, while also providing space for food and drink preparation. Joined by oak flooring and brass detailing, the café upholds a soft, warm and elegant atmosphere.

Paras cafe by The Swimming Pool Studio, Shanghai, China

Located in Shanghai, Paras cafe provides a leisure and work space for nearby residents. Inspired by the Mediterranean Sea along with a modern design philosophy, this unique space is both relaxing and fresh. Marble is beautifully integrated into the reception area’s coffee bar, enhancing the overall depth of the space.

Urban Villa London by Grzywinski+Pons, London, United Kingdom

Located in a London boutique hotel, this café was designed to be suitable for activity during both the day and night. Marble, with its luxurious yet mutable sensibility, is an apt choice. At this luxe bar, it feels just as natural to order a coffee, as it does a cocktail.

OPSOby K-STUDIO, London, United Kingdom

At the main entrance of OPSO sits a long marble coffee bar, which welcomes guests upon entering. OPSO combines natural materials that are typically found in old Athenian eateries, including Kavala marble, Terrazzo flooring, oak paneling and brass accents. Through a careful synergy of classic and contemporary elements, K-STUDIO created a polished yet laid back space.

The Kettle Black by Studio You Me, Melbourne, Australia

The Kettle Black is an absolutely stunning café, which blends many materials together with seamless ease. Filled with paradoxes, this space is traditional, modern, breathtaking and subtle, all at once. With a stately marble bar that weaves naturally into its green and gold surroundings, this cafe exudes luxury and enticement.

Voyager Espresso by Only If —, New York, N.Y., United States

Located in a subway concourse in Manhattan’s Financial District, Voyager Espresso’s material palette emulates the namesake spacecraft and scientific approach that drove its creation. The black marble countertop is meant to play off the texture of the walls and throughout the café, perforated aluminum, copper and black rubber are on display.

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