New York City’s Robusta Espresso Bar, a newly constructed coffee shop located in the city’s Financial District, faced a design challenge common to many big-city establishments. With a street-side corner locale, underneath a building, Robusta Espresso Bar needed to capture the attention of busy pedestrians. Open to the public in June 2012, the Italian-styled espresso bar features a unique concrete façade that brings a sense of movement into the shop and creates a head-turning brand identity for the client.
PANEL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Design for the modern coffee bar began in November 2011, led by efforts from New York City-based architecture firm Hanson Turner. As the focal point for the coffee shop, the façade consists of 657 square feet of vertical concrete panels, hanging above and along the point-of-sale counter. The unique concrete panels were designed to maintain a sense of randomness and uniformity at the same time. To achieve this design goal, the panels feature varying degrees of texture, a finite set of modules that offer a sense of movement or articulation, and a color-changing pattern.
Lavada Inc., a Brooklyn, New York-based façade fabricator and installer, was called on early in the process to collaborate with the team and provide a panel system that would meet design goals. Lavada had previously worked with Hanson Turner on another project, when the architect’s visit to Lavada’s fabrication shop inspired ideas for the espresso bar. Lavada has extensive experience providing facades out of a variety of materials, including metal and concrete.
“We proposed the panels be constructed of concrete, which would provide a natural feel, with a lot of texture.” says Perry Randazzo, partner, Lavada. “Concrete would meet the requirement of varying textures.”
SPECIALTY CONCRETE
Because the panels were to hang from the interior walls, specialty concrete was required. Lavada selected Rapid Set® cement for the concrete mix. Rapid Set made an ideal cement choice because of its high strength and short cure time. Lightweight and strong, Rapid Set made it possible for the vertical panels to hang safely on the coffee shop’s walls.
What’s more, Rapid Set offered the ability to bond well with the mix’s reinforcing fibers. To keep the panel weight low, traditional rebar wasn’t an option. Instead, 1-inch glass and Nycon PVA fibers were selected. In addition, a perlite lightening agent was added to reduce the panels’ weight.
“Without this combination of construction materials, we wouldn’t have achieved such thin lightweight panels,” says Randazzo. “Rapid Set combined with glass and PVA fiber eliminated the need for rebar, which allowed us to keep the weight under 2.5 pounds per square foot.”
With the concrete mix selected, Lavada faced the challenge of designing the panel molds. Lavada needed to design molds that would create a ribbed finish to the panels. The ribbing would accentuate the panels’ texture, allow for the desired custom color-shifting finish and provide a sense of movement in the panels. Through experimentation, Lavada constructed an economical, reusable panel mold made of EPDM rubber.
Panels hanging below the counter measure 36 inches high, while panels above the counter measure 60 inches high. Widths come in 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-inch varieties. There are eight modules in total between the top and bottom. The design creates the illusion that they are random and non-repetitive.
The curing technique included a water mist with plastic cover to ensure adequate hydration for creating the necessary bonds. Rapid Set’s fast cure time allowed for a quick product turnaround, with one batch being completed per shift.
FINISHED PRODUCT
To further accentuate the feeling of movement, the architect designed each panel to incorporate 50 percent red and 50 percent natural, gray concrete color. Rapid Set easily accepted the custom post-cast finish. The red catalyzed paint was sprayed onto the panels, with the assistance of a jig to ensure spray fell on 50 percent of each panel. Each natural-colored section contains a flat-finished seal.
The finished product meets the goals of varying degrees of texture, color, and movement. The façade panels deliver different visual effects at varying distances—from the street level, at the entryway, and up close at the point-of-sale counter. An eye-catching presence and brand identity is created for the new establishment.
“The results achieved with the Robusta Espresso Bar panels were truly a cooperative effort,” says Randazzo. “Everyone on the team worked together to accomplish the design goals and create something unique to the area.” ■
About the Authors:
Perry Randazzo is an award-winning designer and Art Kozyr is an entrepreneur in the construction industry, both currently with Lavada Inc., a Brooklyn, New York-based façade fabricator and installer. For more information, visit www.lavadany.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, October 2013
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