Taniroku Saka

This is prominently located on a corner lot in the center of one of Osaka’s favorite shopping streets. Specialty cafes and shops have been popping up in this trendy and exciting neighborhood over the past few years, run by younger generations attracted by its retro downtown feel and the warmth of the local shop owners. With its concept of “sweets for teatime,” the shop offers an assortment of desserts to accompany tea time, including baked sweets, refrigerated desserts, and meringue cookies.

As we believe that tea and sweets enjoyed at the mountaintop must be exceptionally delicious, the design concept is “a sea of clouds at the mountaintop.” This concept was developed by imagining the luxurious experience and brisk feel of having tea with sweets while overlooking a sea of clouds at the mountaintop. The site of the shop in Tanimachi 6-chome is situated on a hill in Osaka called Mt. Sanada because Yukimura Sanada (a samurai lord from the 15th to 16th century) built a castle there. The hill is unfortunately too low to be called a mountain or to admire a sea of clouds. Yet it is a hilltop, so we evolved the image and came up with the concept.

The most distinctive feature is the sales stands that occupy the entire sales floor. Aisles for sales staff are minimized inside the store, prompting the staff to serve customers outside. This sales style was inspired by the grenngrocer across the street and the fish shop three doors away. We noticed the local grocers and fish shop workers always stay in their storefronts to serve customers, adding a lively vibe to the entire shopping street. We thought that such assertive marketing—going out and talking to customers instead of waiting for them to come in—could be more appropriate for the neighborhood and, above all, more interesting. The ceiling height gradually decreases toward the back, creating a “mighty look” when viewed from the front to camouflage the compact size of the shop. The ceiling, upholstered with white tent fabric and resembles a cloud, also effectively enhances the look.