High-street Corner Coffeehouse

“A historically significant building in proud classicistic style, with an étalage expressing warm tones of buttercup-yellow and carriage-green.”

This high-street Starbucks coffeehouse is situated at unique corner location where the Herestraat and the Tussen Beide Markten meet: between the historic market squares of the Vismarkt and the Grote Markt . This location at heart of the city of Groningen is firmly anchored in the pedestrian shopping and leisure district.

The corner building has a protected, listed status for its historic value and architectural appeal. The area in its current architectural- and urban-form dates back to late 1800’s, but several buildings and underlaying structures are much older: with archeological findings dating to times as early as the nineth century.

The corner building was constructed in 1865 and the richly decorated classicistic façade dates from 1891. It has a central entrance located at the Herestraat, which is symmetrically flanked by two large, four-way mullioned windows. The lower part of the façade spans two floors and is capped by an entablature with decorative cast-iron railing.

During the design process, great attention was given to the concept of étalage and the warm display of the ground and first floor, with the latter being visible through the top row of mullioned windows. An interior palette was selected inspired by the landscape and origin of coffee. With tones of buttercup-yellow and carriage-green, and finishes of bracken- and dark saddle -leather. The customer area of the store occupies the ground and first floor, with a renovated and newly balustraded floor void. An employee back of housearea with storage, office and change-rooms, is situated in an annex to the original building, and in the building’s basement.