Senzi

Located on Rua da Moecda in Cais do Sodre, one of Lisbon’s most active central districts, Senzi sits within walking distance of the riverfront and Time Out Market – one of the hotspots of Lisbon's evolving food culture. It is a compact (90 m2) brunch cafe that operates from morning to late afternoon and is centered around coffee and matcha culture.

The interior is organized as a clear, almost symmetrical composition. The kitchen was expanded to its maximum possible size without relocating technical cores, and the layout was reorganized accordingly. It remains partially visible through textured glass, creating a layered threshold between preparation and dining. Inside, reclaimed blue tiles add a subtle chromatic accent and refract light throughout the space.

The space is held within a grid of wooden planks that subtly references traditional Japanese spatial frameworks, while the floor introduces a slight sense of “outdoor” continuity. At the center of the layout is an open counter where coffee and matcha are prepared — a double-sided structure that cuts through the wall and opens a window into the kitchen. One working surface faces the hall, the other the kitchen, concentrating the main activity within this shared core and making the process itself part of the interior experience.

Built-in benches run along both sides of the room, creating generous seating, while a central communal zone remains flexible. At the heart of the space stands a contact bar and a custom chandelier — a spatial anchor that structures the room without dominating it.

Given the northern orientation and limited direct sunlight, light became a primary design tool. The palette was shifted toward lighter tones, and reflective surfaces were introduced to amplify daylight. Mirrors extend the perceived depth of the space and enhance its brightness, allowing the relatively small footprint to feel open and breathable. The lighting strategy also references the Japanese concept of komorebi (木漏れ日) — light filtered through foliage — a subtle, shifting interplay of shadow and reflection that softens the interior and introduces a sense of natural gradation throughout the day. Materially, the project balances Japanese references with Portuguese context. Rather than quoting specific stylistic motifs, the design focuses on rhythm, framing, and surface articulation: modular wall grids, concrete-like floor tiles, cork panels, and carefully detailed junctions. Found Portuguese tiles were introduced alongside cork and local pinewood — all the materials deeply rooted in the Portuguese landscape.

A collaboration with Bombony, a Portuguese artist of Ukrainian origin, became a defining element of the project. Instead of decorative lightboxes, a series of large-scale geometric canvases was developed and integrated into the upper part of the wall grid. Each work is backlit, while some also respond to natural light coming from the windows, introducing movement and variation across the surfaces. This shift also helped move the project away from overt Japonism and toward a more contemporary, contextual dialogue.