Designed by Nelson Chow, TROIS Cafe is an irresistible riot of brutalist geometry, bubblegum hues and handcrafted details

With its juxtaposition of brutalist geometry and cheerful bubblegum hues, TROIS Cafe may be Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable cafe of 2021. On a mid-week afternoon, when venues are often at their quietest, the third outlet of fledgling chain TROIS Cafe is filled with aspiring influencers jostling for the best spots to take their social media shots. Architect and interior designer Nelson Chow, principal of NC Design & Architecture, expresses surprise. ‘We wanted something eye-catching and unique, but I didn’t realise it would be like this, where people line up just for photographs.’

Inspired by the city’s iconic public housing estates and its playgrounds, which can be found all across the territory and have become social media attractions in themselves, the cafe is immediately recognisable, a vivid blast of colour and texture among the city’s sea of minimalist, all-white coffee shops.

Flanked by car dealerships and office blocks on a bland, busy stretch of highway in Wan Chai, its coral-pink facade will no doubt catch the attention of passers-by. The recessed entrance and signage signals the importance of dimension, while a single circular window looks into what appears to be a basketball court, with a glass-topped communal table in the shape of a free-throw area.

According to Chow, you could also be peering into a spaceship. The retro-futuristic design wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi film set, with pink leather chairs that resemble Memphis-style robots, or the fitness equipment commonly found at housing estates.

Chow used colour to delineate the playful interior. The front bar and main room is swathed in shades of pink, from ceiling to serving counter and plaster walls, which have been finished to resemble concrete. Soap-like resin blocks emit a warm glow, with concealed lighting throughout a stand-in for natural light.

The back and flooring is a palette of pastel blue-greens. A ceramic-tiled bench runs along the rear wall, and trellises add depth and texture. The tiles are enlarged versions of the mosaic tiles found in housing blocks, with each piece individually attached to the wall without any grouting. It’s Chow’s favourite area, because, as he says, ‘it mimics the feeling of sitting under an outdoor trellis with ambient light coming from above.’

‘Everything you see is customised and handcrafted,’ says Chow. ‘The tiles and resin blocks are handmade, the chairs and tables are custom made, nothing is bought from a shop. That’s actually difficult and time-consuming to create, and it’s rare for a cafe, because it’s a big investment.’

It’s an investment that seems to have paid off, with TROIS Cafe set to become a destination that rivals the actual housing estates it pays homage to.

Text / Kee Foong