Peacock Café – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Title
Peacock Café – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website
Designed by
KIDZ
Image Credit
© Ilya Ivanov
Project Description
Project description provided by architects - The Peacock café project in Riyadh marked KIDZ studio’s fi rst experience working in Saudi Arabia and continued the story of a local coff ee brand that began with a roasting facility in the small city of Ha’il. The brand’s founder aimed not just to create a place to sell coff ee, but to establish a new urban point of attraction — a café that would revitalize the neighborhood and become a space people would want to return to.
The choice of location was a strategic decision: the client deliberately sought a site away from busy commercial streets and popular districts. The idea was not to integrate into an existing urban fl ow, but rather to initiate one. The café was intended to serve as the fi rst impulse for drawing people in and transforming the surrounding context.
The guiding principle in developing the concept was the client’s desire to create a cozy, “home-like” atmosphere. This wish resonated with the architectural idea of a Japanese garden — a space where wood functions not only as a material, but as a symbol, and where the focus is not on an object, but on a feeling. This concept allowed for a gentle integration of the exterior corridor and the complex interior geometry with its structural columns, turning an otherwise overlooked spot into the emotional centerpiece of the project — a glass-enclosed zone with greenery and soft, diff used light.
The space is organized around several functional zones, unifi ed by a coherent fl ow and visual rhythm. Visitors are greeted by a direct line to the main bar, with a product display shelf placed opposite. Slightly deeper into the space is a separate espresso bar and pastry zone. Closer to the façade, along the full-height windows, is bench seating designed for small groups or individual work. At the center, a long communal table with a live tree informally divides the seating into two autonomous areas. A lounge seating zone is located beside the “garden,” creating an additional sense of privacy. The layout also includes a
drinking water station, standard sofa seating groups, and outdoor seating in a private courtyard.
Materially, the project is built on a combination of light concrete, natural wood, and white walls. The color palette is pastel and soft, supporting a sense of calm and comfort. The visual straightforwardness of the furniture and architectural elements highlights functionality without overwhelming the perception, creating a background for the strong natural accent — the garden.
The project was a new experience for the team — from the absence of local contractors and adapting to unfamiliar construction practices, to the need to consider cultural and religious context.
Technically, the project did not require complex construction methods, but an important architectural takeaway was the necessity of carefully planning seasonal usage scenarios. Given the extremely hot summers and open winter seasons in Riyadh, the confi guration of the glass doors played a key role. The combination of folding and hinged panels was chosen not only for aesthetic reasons but also for functional ease. This solution ensured the needed fl exibility: allowing the space to be easily adapted to diff erent seasons while maintaining the interior’s visual rhythm.
