Truth Coffee approached Haldane Martin in 2011 to design the interiors of their cafés, including their new 1500m² headquarters in Cape Town.
Haldane Martin came up with Steampunk as a conceptual reference, as both coffee roasters and espresso machines display elements of romantic, steam-powered technology.
A three-storey, turn of the century, warehouse building was chosen as the brand’s new headquarters. The building was stripped back to its bare bones, exposing beautiful cast iron pillars, Oregon pine roof trusses and floors, and the original stone and brick walls. Haldane Martin opened up the ground floor façade onto the busy Buitenkant Street with a series of tall steel and glass doors. Most of the building’s natural, aged patina was kept intact and complemented with raw steel, timber, leather, brass and copper finishes.
The huge vintage roaster became the kingpin for the space with everything else falling naturally into place around it. Haldane Martin surrounded the roaster with a 6m diameter circular steel shelving structure reminiscent of a Victorian gasworks.
The leather-top main bar, clad in pressed tin ceiling panels, is located symmetrically in front of the roaster shelving. Overstuffed, leather and steel chairs, barstools and copper-clad tables create a formal raised dining area in front of the bar. Five horseshoe-shaped, deep buttoned, high backed, banquet seats run down the right-hand wall of the space.
The front café space is dominated by the longest table in Cape Town, a 7.2m long communal table with swing-out stools built from industrial pipe, malleable castings, and a table top made from Oregon pine reclaimed from the building’s stripped-out ceilings. A flickering candle bulb lighting and power cable installation hangs over the table, providing charging access for patrons.
Vintage steel stools and worn school desks placed on the sidewalk create the ideal environment for a quick coffee break.
With the exception of the authentic
