Los Angeles, CA
With seating up to 335 guests across a lounge, dining room, and an all-season covered patio, the Cactus Club Café Coquitlam offers fine casual dining paired with a contemporary, sophisticated aesthetic.
Inside, a refined material palette echoes the West Coast Canadian landscape. Rift-cut white oak, oil-rubbed bronze, and dark leather enhance the lounge and dining room with a warm, inviting atmosphere, while artworks by Andy Warhol provide an eye-catching moment. The bar, featuring a long-curved countertop, dark wood, and a bocci light fixture, adds a touch of glamour, epitomizing the Cactus Club brand and its high-energy vibe.
A continuous ribbon of wood ceiling transverses the space, creating a cohesive design element that unifies the dining experience, while custom clerestory windows fill the space with ambient natural light.
Referencing the design elements of the Sherway Gardens flagship location, the building cantilevers its roof to envelope the patio, integrating the entire infrastructure and creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor dining.
With 20+ electric heaters, a misting system, automatic blinds, and an operable door system, the patio is capable of expanding or closing the space as needed, while operable perimeter glazing allows for total airflow in the warmer months.
On the exterior, glass fiber reinforced concrete horizontal slats façade with black aluminum framing and dark fir louvers provide an engaging and materially rich setting for this new ground-up restaurant.
One innovative feature at this location is an exterior takeout window to efficiently manage takeout orders, keeling flow inside the restaurant uninterrupted.
Status: Built
Location: Coquitlam, BC, CA
Firm Role: Design Architect
Additional Credits: Architect of Record: RSSAW
Photography: Ema Peter