Live — Ambar Maya Johnsson

Live Concept

"The challenge wasn't a lack of ideas. It was knowing which ones to take forward, and how to create a space flexible enough to accommodate different experiences without losing its identity."

Project Snapshot

Private Client 
2019 - 2020
Geneva, Switzerland
Hospitality & Interior Architecture
Senior Architect & Project Manager
YKRA
Unbuilt

Client
Year
Location
Type
Role
Firm
Status

Role

I led the project from concept through detailed design, working directly with the client to translate their business plan into an architectural brief. My responsibilities covered spatial planning, interior architecture, material selection, bespoke furniture and lighting design, building permit coordination, tender documentation and contractor coordination.

The Brief

The client wanted to establish a new hospitality destination in an emerging business district in Geneva, bringing together food, coffee, cocktails, retail and the possibility of live entertainment.

The ambition was to maximise seating capacity and flexibility, allowing the venue to accommodate different uses throughout the day and evening. The challenge was to translate a broad range of ideas into a clear architectural brief, balancing commercial objectives with the practical requirements of operating a hospitality venue.

The location added another challenge. Rather than opening in an established neighbourhood, the venue needed to create its own identity and give people a reason to visit.

Define a coherent hospitality concept from an evolving business plan and competing priorities.

Create a distinct identity capable of establishing the venue as a destination in an emerging business district.

Design for flexibility, accommodating different food and beverage offerings, retail and live entertainment within one venue.

Maximise seating capacity while maintaining comfortable circulation and efficient service.

Develop the design details through bespoke furniture, joinery, lighting and material selection to a technical level suitable for permitting, tendering and contractor coordination.

Objectives

The Approach

Rather than treating each of the client's ideas as a separate function, I proposed a reinterpretation of the food-court model. Three distinct bars dedicated to coffee, cocktails and food were brought together within a shared space, creating a venue where people could meet for lunch, stay for after-work drinks or shop for produce.

The layout was developed to maximise seating capacity and flexibility while responding to the operational requirements of each offering. Understanding how a kitchen, café and cocktail bar function was essential to designing the service areas, equipment layouts, storage and staff circulation.

Material exploration was an important part of establishing the venue's identity. The curved bar counters were developed with a striated concrete finish and gradient effect, alongside bespoke shelving, joinery and furniture. The client's references for illuminated signage were translated into custom suspended lighting structures, with their proportions, construction and fixing details developed specifically for the project.

The design was carried through to detailed development, with a comprehensive set of architectural drawings and bespoke details prepared for tendering and cost estimation.

The Result

The project progressed through detailed design, resulting in a comprehensive architectural package for tendering and budgeting. The proposal brought together the client's different ambitions within a coherent hospitality concept, with flexible spaces and bespoke elements developed around the operational requirements of the venue.

Beyond the design itself, the project was an important learning experience in managing an evolving client brief, understanding hospitality operations and exploring new materials and fabrication techniques. It reinforced the importance of establishing priorities, challenging ideas when necessary and maintaining a clear design direction throughout the process.

Live Concept

"The challenge wasn't a lack of ideas. It was knowing which ones to take forward, and how to create a space flexible enough to accommodate different experiences without losing its identity."

The client wanted to establish a new hospitality destination in an emerging business district in Geneva, bringing together food, coffee, cocktails, retail and the possibility of live entertainment.

The location added another challenge. Rather than opening in an established neighbourhood, the venue needed to create its own identity and give people a reason to visit.

Define a coherent hospitality concept from an evolving business plan and competing priorities.

Create a distinct identity capable of establishing the venue as a destination in an emerging business district.

Design for flexibility, accommodating different food and beverage offerings, retail and live entertainment within one venue.

Maximise seating capacity while maintaining comfortable circulation and efficient service.

Develop the design details through bespoke furniture, joinery, lighting and material selection to a technical level suitable for permitting, tendering and contractor coordination.

The layout was developed to maximise seating capacity and flexibility while responding to the operational requirements of each offering. Understanding how a kitchen, café and cocktail bar function was essential to designing the service areas, equipment layouts, storage and staff circulation.

The design was carried through to detailed development, with a comprehensive set of architectural drawings and bespoke details prepared for tendering and cost estimation.

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