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From Yemen to the northern frontiers of the Arabian Peninsula, coffee rituals have long been central to social life, symbolizing hospitality, respect, and unity across diverse communities. For centuries, the simple act of sharing a cup of coffee has transcended class, status, and tribal boundaries, providing a space for cultural connection and dialogue. Coffee gatherings have traditionally served as a platform for storytelling, celebration, and even conflict resolution, anchoring this beverage as a pillar of Arab social practices. Through these rituals, coffee has not only bridged social divides but also fostered a sense of identity and shared heritage across the peninsula.
In the past two decades, the specialty coffee market has experienced remarkable growth. When it reached Saudi Arabia, specialty coffee quickly became a natural fit in modern culture. Today, coffee shops are an integral part of public life across the country. Recognizing the growing demand for responsibly sourced beans, local entrepreneurs Ahmed Al-Kharji and Khaled Al-Madi founded Elixir Bunn to promote coffee not only as a product but as a social experience. Through thoughtfully designed spaces, they have established a series of signature coffee shops around the Saudi capital, redefining coffee as a shared cultural ritual
Located in the northern suburbs of Riyadh, the cafe is part of a commercial development planned around a central promenade. The existing two-story structure features a large double-height space at the ground level and a front porch facing a narrow thoroughfare lined with shops and cafes. Based on the premise of permeability and integration of the public promenade, an attachment to the developer’s block was designed to expand on the interior and provide a gradient of flexible spaces that accommodate the fluctuating climate of Riyadh.
Taking cues from the surrounding landscape, a formal language of sinuously curved masses and voids was developed to recall the desert environments surrounding the traditional coffee ritual. Building on previous experiments with sand samples collected from the Red Sea coast and the Sarawat Mountains, to the tributaries of Wadi Hanifa, a carefully crafted color palette that draws on our extensive research on the relationship between patina and place was used throughout the interiors. Developed as a reflection on the subtle nuances of grain and textures in desert environments, the interiors are finished in different textures of stucco and a bespoke flooring material of resin, sand, and aggregate.
Visitors walk in through the side door into the 132 sqm interior section to a variety of typical coffee shop sounds. An espresso machine, clinking desert spoons on porcelain and, the gentle murmur of intellectual conversations and friends catching up. Merchandise arranged along a large curved counter guides you into the 30-seat canyon-like main seating hall. Embraced by sweeping curved forms, the cafe’s main double-height seating hall was designed as a recollection of geological features encountered throughout different desert landscapes. It picks up on long-established nomadic practices of selecting specific locations for temporary settlement, mostly places that provide spatial intimacy and protection from the elements. The exterior terrace is accessed through a set of folding doors that allow the cafe’s main hall to integrate with the outside during the cool winter months giving them both a total seating capacity of 36 and an area of 120 sqm. Cast in a lighter hue, the shaded terrace provides a sense of enclosure along the street edge while opening up to the development’s main promenade. A slight difference in floor level further highlights the transition into the cafe.
Elixir Bunn Al Sikka provides a refuge for Riyadh’s coffee connoisseurs from the city’s bustle. In a monastic space where productivity and calm meet, the cafe seamlessly blends tradition with modern design, celebrating Saudi coffee rituals in a modern setting inspired by the local environment. Through its natural textures and hues, the space fosters a ceremonial encounter with coffee, connecting patrons to both heritage and community. Al-Kharji and Al-Madi have created not just a cafe, but a cultural landmark—an intimate retreat within the city’s vibrant rhythm.
