Textile Café

The Textile Café was a temporary installation for Denfair 2017. Power to Make was commissioned to design and fabricate the timber structure by Denfair Group. The structure consists of over 2 kilometres of 32 x 32 charred timber battens, systematically pre-assembled in our workshop to ensure we install the structure in under 10 hours at the exhibition.

The design is inspired by traditional charred timber housing in Naoshima, Japan. The chard timber produces a mute box frame with a linear row of Shibori dyed fabric to conceal the seating area, much like the cosy and narrow street stalls in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The interior is a curved "pixelated" chandelier of hanging battens lit by black smoked glass pendants. The chandelier hangs down in the centre of the seating area to subtly provide privacy between groups of diners.

The project acknowledged the generous contributions of Ecotimber, Mokum Studio, Ross Gardam, and Obodo Design.