Cup Of Joy / EBBA Architects

Architects: EBBA Architects
Year: 2026
Photography: Felix Speller
Materials: Clay plaster, Portland stone, oak, timber, opaque glass, woodblock flooring, terracotta concrete, steel
Client: Cup of Joy
City: London
Country: United Kingdom

Cup of Joy brings an Istanbul-inspired material language to Marylebone through a hospitality interior shaped by clay, stone, timber, and controlled light. Designed by EBBA Architects for the Istanbul-originating coffee brand’s first UK location, the project is organized around sculptural wall elements that establish a sense of enclosure reminiscent of a courtyard. Portland stone is embedded within the walls and partially concealed beneath clay render, producing surfaces with a monolithic, weathered character. A continuous datum gives order to the composition, while timber insertions accommodate seating, retail displays, a water fountain, and intimate niches. The ground floor centers on a diagonally positioned oak bar, while a timber and opaque-glass ceiling creates diffuse ambient illumination. On the lower level, clay-covered ceilings and oak paneling establish a more intimate setting. Extensive material testing and EBBA’s hands-on involvement in stone placement reinforce the studio’s research-driven approach to architecture and interiors.

In Marylebone, Cup of Joy is conceived as an immersive interior that translates the spatial atmosphere associated with Istanbul into a contemporary London hospitality setting. Rather than reproducing recognizable architectural motifs, EBBA Architects draws from the city’s deep walls, shaded courtyards, tactile surfaces, and layered material character. This approach is particularly relevant to the brand’s first UK store, allowing its origins to inform the experience while avoiding a literal interpretation of place. The interior instead builds its identity through mass and material depth, with a sequence of substantial sculpted walls establishing the architectural framework of the ground floor. The effect is one of enclosure and permanence, positioning the coffee house as a space that feels more like an inhabitable architectural environment than a conventional retail interior.

The walls are formed through a combination of Portland stone and clay render, with large stone slabs embedded within the surfaces before being partially covered by clay. EBBA’s team selected and positioned the stones by hand on site, composing their arrangement before the render was drawn across them. The stone becomes heavier and more grounded toward the base before breaking apart as it rises, creating a surface that suggests accumulated layers and the passage of time. Clay extends across much of the ground floor and into the stairwell, where its muted texture contributes to the project’s tactile quality while also helping absorb and soften sound. A continuous datum runs through the interior, bringing visual order to the sculptural walls and providing a reference against which the irregularity of the stone and clay can be read.

Within the substantial wall elements, the design introduces a series of timber insertions that transform the architecture into a place for occupation. Seating, benches, retail displays, a water fountain, and smaller niches are integrated into the carved spaces, creating moments of intimacy within the larger room. A large oak bar cuts diagonally across the ground floor, with the angle repeated through surrounding furniture to establish a restrained geometric relationship. Overhead, a timber-panelled ceiling incorporates opaque glass, distributing light evenly rather than creating the sharp contrasts associated with conventional hospitality lighting. The resulting illumination is diffuse and ambient, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on calmness, enclosure, and material presence.

The material language continues across the lower level, where clay is applied to the ceilings and oak paneling introduces additional warmth. Woodblock flooring connects the two floors, while a terracotta concrete stair and matching steel structure provide a more distinct expression within the otherwise subdued palette. The practice developed these elements through extensive studio testing before construction, allowing it to assess the relationship between textures, tones, and materials in advance. The process continued on site through EBBA’s direct involvement in selecting and composing individual stones, giving the finished walls evidence of deliberate craft and decision-making.

Cup of Joy ultimately demonstrates EBBA Architects’ research-driven approach through an interior in which material is central to both spatial organization and atmosphere. The project avoids relying on decorative representations of Istanbul, instead translating its references into qualities of weight, enclosure, texture, shadow, and filtered light. For Cup of Joy, the result establishes a distinctive first presence in the UK while remaining connected to the character of its Istanbul origins. For EBBA, the project extends its work across hospitality and retail into an environment where architecture and craftsmanship are closely intertwined, allowing the experience of coffee to unfold within a carefully constructed material landscape.