Project Name:
Eklipse Cafe
In Collaboration With:
Keyhan Khaki
Client Name:
Ardreanna Cofell
Location:
Atlanta Beltline, GA
Status:
SD

 

The café is located on an abandoned railroad bridge next to the Atlanta Beltline. The goal was to provide a simple solution by utilizing prefabricated shipping containers to create a kitchen and indoor dining. By placing the containers on recycled train wheels, the project celebrates the essence and the history of the site and its relationship to the previous railroad system on the Beltline. Outdoor furniture takes advantage of the same wheels as an aesthetic yet functional design element that allows for tables to be rolled together for larger groups or to be used for individual purposes. One of the earliest design interventions was the need to create a safe and active environment in an abandoned and darkened area that could operate on a night-time basis as well. The design intention is to use ambient lighting as the object in which the safety, activity, and a sense of curiosity of a place is determined both in the context of the Beltline for pedestrians and the drivers below the bridge on Ralph McGill Road. The stainless steel frame covered with polycarbonate translucent sheets around the two containers becomes the medium in which the light gets transmitted at night while providing shade in the daytime for the customers sitting outside. The shape and the position of the frame have been carefully adjusted to capture curiosity and create outdoor shading, as well as a connection to the walking grounds of Atlanta Beltline.