The scoottering community in general, and the Vespa in particular served as inspiration, and a constant reference point for the design of Motore Coffee. The owner, a Vespa owner and recovering tech worker, requested a cafe that would feel both modern and industrial yet also inviting and comfortable. Customers would find a stimulating refuge from their office cubicles either to take advantage of the wireless network or the four apple G-5's provided for their use, or simply to socialize with others. The existing concrete floor was cleaned, sealed and left exposed. Custom steel handrails were sealed and left natural. The ceiling and mechanical equipment were painted and left exposed. Set within this "industrial" wrapper and in contrast to it are the more custom and finished elements of the coffee bar and the soffit that defines it. To underscore the theme, off-the-shelf industrial materials are used in unexpected ways. For example, forty feet of exposed storage and equipment niches along the back wall are screened from view by amber pvc strip curtains (the kind typically found in factories and warehouses) thus eliminating the need for a back room and maximizing space available for seating. Employees can reach in to retrieve items from these niches by parting the strip curtains, or can roll entire segments of the curtain aside for greater access. Above the back bar, t he letters M-O-T-O-R-E were painted onto motorcycle helmets and supended from the wall on custom brackets to form the primary sign. A revolving show of customer or employee art is displayed on a grid of 21 masonite clipboards mounted on the wall of a seating alcove. Below, eight Vespa seats turned on end form the back rests for a 16 foot banquette seat bench.
