The project is an innovative art space created for the "I really Don't Know" coffee shop from Abu Dhabi. The idea of the coffee shop is to help those who are constantly faced with a choice when ordering coffee and cannot decide what to order through phrases scattered around the space.
The concept of the pop-up project was born with the customer at the first meeting in the IRDK coffee house, in the process of sketching different ideas on a paper check. It was then that the concept of the labyrinth was chosen. The project was presented at the MOTB festival, which is held annually in Dubai in January. The main objective of The Labyrinth was to draw attention to the coffee shop and present it as a unique art space that visitors can interact with and become part of its storytelling.
Throughout their journey through the space, visitors are presented with puzzles in the form of cutouts and bevels in the walls, allowing them to see the coffee shop but not directly enter it. To enter the coffee shop, the visitor must go through the entire maze and get a sense of what they want before entering.
From the very entrance to the labyrinth, visitors do not understand where they are, repeating to themselves: "I don't know where I am". The space immerses them in a playful atmosphere of exploration, where every corner hides something interesting. They can choose between two directions: "Wanna Play?" and "Wanna eat?". The former leads to a cozy coffee shop with seating, while the latter leads to an exciting adventure, starting with a slide down to a ball pool.
Each zone of the space is designed to evoke different feelings and sensations. For example, the Hide and Seek zone offers intentional obstacles, encouraging exploration and the discovery of new angles.
The penultimate zone of the maze offers a view window to the waterfront, encouraging guests to enjoy the view and take in the atmosphere of the place. The table in the space transcends the boundaries of the project, thus showing that the labyrinth is not enclosed within itself, but interacts with the outside environment. The same idea lies in the swinging bench, swinging on which the visitor partially flies out of the pop-up space due to a cutout in the wall and finds himself in the middle of two spaces.
The final point of the labyrinth is the coffee house itself, where the game with visitors continues. The poufs on which you can sit down are made of expanded clay blocks, around which a voluminous and soft plush fabric is tied with a construction tie. Thus, you can see how simply from improvised means you can make a unique product.
The project was made in record time in just 7 days right on New Year holidays. The novelty of the project lies in the approach of interaction with visitors. Passing through the labyrinth, the visitor has the opportunity to fully utilize all his senses and get unexpected impressions from the interaction with the environment.
