COFFEE & COMMUNITY HUB
Concept: The Green Haus
Keywords: Reseda, Spiral Growth, Coexistence
Design Scope: Identity, Spatial Design & Brand Ops
Completion Date: Jul 2024
Design: In-house at Gwantsi
Nestled deep within the historic lanes of Yuyuan Road, Gwantsi Café aka GIAFÉ juxtaposes heritage architecture with modern intervention. It functions as a multi-disciplinary space and creative testing ground.
This space was conceived as a mini Exposition Greenhouse reminiscent of 1900. The original structures and exposed traces are retained and reinterpreted as part of the space’s character. This place operates as an intersection where diverse creative frequencies gather and display themselves like living exhibits under one structural roof.
The Vert Réséda, a low-saturation botanical hue inspired by The Grand Palais, instills an introverted strength that induces serenity. On a micro-emotional level, this place also acts as The Green Room — a theatrical, backstage lounge where urban dwellers can detach from the city’s acceleration, re-tune their inner rhythms, and unwind.
Rather than a static physical structure or an isolated logotype, the design operates as a dynamic, evolving brand ecosystem. Rooted in the primary visual concept, the graphics are built around a botanical spiral form as its core geometric DNA.
Over time, this system grew into a Design Library, spanning environmental signage, editorial ephemera, and operational materials under a living visual language.
Visual Identity Guidebook for Gwantsi Café
Special Editions for Festivals:
Christmas, New Year, Halloween, Mid-Autumn, Valentine's & more.
GIAFÉ integrates digital art, brand activations, and live performances. Through a sequential and rhythmic operational design, the core brand identity is continuously translated into multi-sensory experiences across every customer touchpoint.
Our Visual Experiments:
Digital Display Contents & Collaterals
By curating a continuous stream of visual events — introducing warm illustrations, playful animations, and experimental generative arts across a five-screen LED matrix — the brand steps out of its initial restraint. It transforms into an intimate, lively hidden gem rooted in the enduring vitality of the community.
Seasonal Activation:
Façade Mural & Illustration