Cairo’s % Arabica Roastery Design Stacks Up Like the City's Skyline

Much like the Cairene skyline, stacked, stepped and timeless, the debuting % Arabica Roastery at U-Venues in New Cairo unfolds in a heaping white and sandy beige ambiance. Designed by Japanese studio no.10, the interior of the coffee shop draws inspiration from the concept of ‘pilling up’, reflecting the ever-evolving multilayered cultural and architectural Egyptian persona.

Outside, % Arabica’s curving allure flows like the river Nile, drawing you in. Once inside, the space shifts, where the rigid lines cascade like the stepped layers of a pyramid, gradually enclosing you in its evolving embrace. A small foyer greets you, with the floor beneath your feet etched with carved motifs inspired from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. These same symbols appear on the stone-covered wall to your left, further embedding the design within the cultural context that inspired it.

As you turn to your right, a sleek white bar stretches out, minimalist and long, forming an L-shape. Its pristine silhouette evokes Cairo’s 1950s modernist buildings that once defined its overlaid profile. Behind the bar, mirrored walls reflect the purity of the white space, creating a sense of openness that seems to expand before you, almost endlessly. White metal shelves hold % Arabica’s jute bags of beans, introducing a subtle burst of color into the otherwise monochromatic scene.

Meanwhile, to your right, a stepped seating arrangement mirrors the uneven contours of a quarry’s terrain. Designed as a communal space, every corner and niche serves a dual purpose, inviting use as either a seat or a table. Draped in limestone rocks modularised into 800mm blocks, the sculptural steps evolve like the city’s layered skyline, seamlessly stacked to form a dynamic rhythm. The varying heights create a harmonious balance, blending function with form and offering a space that feels both inviting and visually engaging.

% Arabica is a Japanese coffee brand founded with the vision of crafting the perfect cup of everyday coffee. Now a global presence, its Cairo branch weaves minimalist Japanese aesthetics into an Egyptian narrative, where modernity flows seamlessly into timeless heritage, much like the Nile carving its way through history.

Photography Credit: Nour El Refai