Occupying a 30m2 corner of a restored building, Basic Coffee is part of a co-working hub with a goal to activate the newly gentrified commercial zone of XianYuKou, Beijing, through providing artisan coffee to its neighbours and tourists. The design focuses on establishing a series of “framed views” into the café, by orchestrating a play of light and obscurity. This sense of mystery and curiosity is made possible by a ripple-like spatial organisation, origination from a concealed coffee-making area, wrapped by a ‘veiled’ entry gallery, and a curved seating area on the outermost layer.