Room4 Coffee Yard

Authors’ Comment

Room4 Coffee Yard is a café located in central Bucharest, on General David Praporgescu Street, distinguished by the relationship between its interior space and the green courtyard. The project transforms a compact urban site into an intimate, relaxing space connected to nature.
The architectural concept is based on the idea of an “urban retreat”—a place where visitors can temporarily escape the bustle of the city. In this sense, the architecture does not seek monumentality; instead, it creates an atmosphere rooted in intimacy, comfort, and proximity to vegetation. The courtyard is the project’s central element, becoming an extension of the interior space and the main feature defining the café’s identity.
The space is organized as a sequence of zones that creates a transition from the public realm to increasingly intimate areas. The visitor’s journey can be described through the sequence street – entrance – café – veranda – courtyard. This progression enables a gradual transition from the urban atmosphere to the café’s sheltered, green setting.
The relationship between interior and exterior plays an important role. The glazed veranda establishes a direct visual connection with the vegetation and allows natural light to enter the interior. This transparency makes the boundary between the built space and the garden less apparent. The courtyard functions not merely as a terrace, but as a continuation of the interior and as the principal element of the architectural experience.
Vegetation plays an essential role in defining the atmosphere. It is used not only as a decorative element, but also actively shapes the space by providing privacy and visually screening the courtyard from the urban environment. Landscape and architecture therefore work together, and the vegetation can be regarded as a true architectural element of the project.
The furniture is adapted to the café’s scale and character. A variety of seating options accommodates different activities, from having a quick coffee to socializing, working individually, or relaxing.
The lighting complements the atmosphere created by the natural materials and vegetation. During the day, the glazed surfaces allow natural light to be used, while in the evening, artificial lighting helps maintain a warm and relaxing atmosphere. Light thus becomes a tool through which the space can be perceived differently depending on the time of day.
The visitor experience is one of the project’s most important aspects. Room4 Coffee Yard is not merely a place for drinking coffee, but a space in which architecture, vegetation, and atmosphere work together to create an experience.
Thus, Room4 Coffee Yard becomes a space in which architecture creates the setting, vegetation creates the atmosphere, and the visitor completes the experience.