The Kicking Horse Café is a revitalization of an existing café near Invermere, British Columbia. Consisting of updates to staff back-of-house operations and the café coffee service area, the design of the project seeks to embody the ethos of the Kicking Horse Coffee brand: “A café experience to wake up the world.”

The café was conceived of as a synthesis of four programmatic aspirations: a desire to reveal the operations of a world-class coffee house to visitors; the creation of a hospitality experience that fosters connection between patrons; an interpretive ‘lens’ to the spectacular landscape beyond; and a curatorial space that highlights the sophistication of the coffee-making process.

The user experience and atmosphere of the space is defined by three theatrical design features: the coffee bar, which acts as a stage; the coffee bar canopy, which functions as a proscenium; and a wood screen which acts as a conceptual ‘curtain’. The volumetric forms of the proscenium, created through folded metal plates, define the spatial navigation of the cafe with the coffee bar while offering animation and versatility. The wood screen wall acts as a transitional threshold, blurring the lines between interior and exterior, expectation and reality.
Locally sourced cross-laminated cedar panels create an articulated array and embody the materiality of the surrounding forests. These cedar panels are rationalized to limit material waste while still achieving an organic form undulating to create seating and product display spaces that directly abstract the topography of the surrounding area.

Taken together, the interpretive detailing of the design features and the curatorial nature of the space act to showcase the uniqueness of the Kicking Horse Coffee brand while creating an experience that integrates all the senses of aesthetic beauty: feel, aura, energy, and smell to create a defining and transformative coffee experience.