Play Coffee

A 1928 bank floor, converted in 86 days into a room whose centerpiece is an espresso bar you can walk a full circle around. The program is Nordic-style multi-roaster (Tim Wendelboe, April, Gardelli, 3FE and The Barn have all poured under the Play name), though which of them lands on this bar moves with the rotation.

Play does not roast; the policy is partnering with roasters on a Scandinavian roast profile that publish transparency reports, buy direct, and pay producers above market, across a pared-down pour-over menu plus five to seven single origins on espresso. Tim Wendelboe, April, Gardelli, Sey and La Cabra belong to the brand's roster rather than to this bar, and the retail bags name no farm, varietal, or roast date.

Designwork Studios drew this one inside the 1928 Wells Fargo building on the Orange Plaza (the first time that address has held anything but a bank), with Victoria Rivas on creative direction, Capsule on the espresso bar, Alvar Aalto and Waka Waka chairs, and Muller Van Severen tables. The whole conversion took 86 days, which for a room that spent 95 years counting other people's money is a fast change of career.