Caffe Streets
1750 West Division Street
Chicago

With a myriad of recent openings, Division Street is well on its way to matching the fervor of Bucktown. The addition of Caffe Streets provides a well-designed social hub for the neighborhood. And their version of social means no wifi.  Owner Darko Arandjelovic hired Brent Norsman to design the space and, for inspiration, took him on a tour of Chicago coffee shops that he respects.  The outcome of their client/designer collaboration is a space that matches the organic and scientific processes of making coffee with its artistic outcome. Norsman organized the space into a slick, bamboo plywood paneled seating area and a more science lab-like barista station, each distinct, but symbiotic in their roles. 

Bamboo paneled walls, communal tables, benches and stools, stainless wall-mounted planters define the space.  Bundles of reflective filament bulbs up-light the seating area, while four retrofitted, industrial street lamps cast their glow over the baristas.  A solitary large-scale light box adorns the wall showcasing an aerial view of the neighborhood’s iconic 6-corners intersection. But the real showstopper is the ceiling, a topographical layering of bamboo that invokes the mixing of coffee and cream.