Hidden on the second floor of a building along Lebuh Victoria, Penang, a castle door opens up to a cool new world, complete with ice sculptures, caves and a variety of icy desserts.
The idea behind the Ice Café is to provide a place for a chilling respite from the heat on Penang streets, allowing locals a chance to experience winter in Malaysia.
The original structure of the four-storey shop building was maintained, with just the interiors designed according to theme. The design and build of the café is by Theme Reno Sdn Bhd, theming consultants that specialise in creative sculpting and theming for homes, commercial outlets and themparks, from concept to reality.
Some of the themed props in the café include an ice bath, which serves as a winter version of a ball-pit play area for kids, a cave igloo that can fit up to five diners, as well as an ice bed and various other props that make for good photo opportunities.
Lighting plays an important part in creating the winter atmosphere, and a combination of blue and warm white backlit lights are used. As space is a constraint, the owner decided to have a larger café area for guests instead of a big kitchen.
The average temperature at the café is about 8 to 10 degrees Celsius to simulate the effect of walking into an ice box. Maintaining this temperature is a big challenge and required an investment in a cold machine and insulation on all walls, ceiling and floor.
PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Ice Café
Location: 193 Lebuh Victoria, Penang
Completion Date: April 2017
Gross Floor Area: 150 square metres
Client/Owner: Creative Theme Café
Principal Designer: Theme Reno Sdn Bhd
Main Contractor: Theme Reno Sdn Bhd
Images: Zon Lee Photography
