Two years ago, Starbucks' branch in Al Seef, Dubai captivated the internet with its contextual design. Located in the oldest part of Dubai, the renowned coffee outlet boasts a thatched roof, mud-like exterior finishes, traditional screens, and wooden furniture, all of which retain the picturesque charm of the landscape. The design not only garnered immense attention on social media but also attracted curious customers to the store. Effortlessly blending in with its regional context, the Al Seef branch has become an integral part of the locality. The store is one of Starbucks' many efforts at regionalizing its international outlets to create authentic connections with customers. In an era where consumers crave meaningful connections, regionalism in retail design emerges as a powerful design strategy.
Starbucks: The Latest Architecture and News
Kengo Kuma Creates Starbucks Store in Taiwan From 29 Shipping Containers
Hot on the heels of its lavish breakthrough Milan store, Starbucks has opened yet another striking and innovatively-designed coffee house. However, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's design associates an entirely different mood with the company's coffee beverages.
Starbucks Taiwan the company’s first location in the Asia Pacific, consists of 29 white shipping containers, shifted and stacked in a grid-like formation. Within the containers’ 3,444 sqft (320 sqm) of space are a variety of intimate and comfortable spaces. A drive-thru is also incorporated into the design to maximize the store’s convenience to its customers.
How Starbucks Uses BIM and VR to Bring Local Spirit to its Japan Locations
This article was originally published on Autodesk's Redshift publication as "Starbucks Japan Pursues a Local Flair Through Design in BIM and VR."
It’s been 20 years since Starbucks opened its first shop in Japan, bringing a new paradigm to the country’s coffee shop culture—and creating a new, appealing “third place” option between home and work or school.
Notably, almost all of Japan’s 1,245 shops—across all 47 prefectures—are directly run by the parent company. As such, they are planned by Starbucks designers who, instead of settling for standardized designs for all locations, have worked diligently to incorporate features expressing regional, historical contexts and the lifestyles of locals—in short, to appeal specifically to the Japanese market.
World’s Largest Starbucks to Open on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile
Coffee behemoth Starbucks has announced plans for their third U.S. “Roastery” store to be located on North Michigan Avenue along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, one of the most well-known retail streets in the world. When completed in 2019, the four-story, 43,000-square-foot space will constitute the largest Starbucks location in the world.