PA.03 - CAFÉ CACHÉ

Type

Panels

Location

Paris

Material

Plywood

Description

A suspended wooden shell made from CNC-cut panels, Café Caché combines material efficiency with the intimate atmosphere of traditional cafés.

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Ceiling

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Façade wall detail

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. View from the entrance

About

Conceived and installed at Le Centquatre in Paris, Café Caché shows how digital fabrication applied to wood can go beyond pure construction logic to become a tool for creating atmospheres, where technical efficiency meets cultural memory.

The project takes the form of a wooden shell suspended from the ceiling and wall, enveloping the café like a warm backdrop. Made of CNC-cut panels connected through reinterpreted mortise-and-tenon joints and hinge-like assemblies, the structure transforms flat components into a self-supporting three-dimensional geometry. This configuration provides stability while generating acoustic and atmospheric qualities that shape the experience of the space.

A strong focus was placed on material optimization: façade panels were designed to minimize off-cuts, making full use of each board with precision. Beyond constructive efficiency, Café Caché carries a more intimate and cultural dimension. Its warm materiality and detailed craftsmanship reinterpret the atmosphere of Brussels cafés from my youth, here transposed into a contemporary context. In this way, technical rigor and personal memory converge to create a space that is both functional and evocative.

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Ceiling detail with integrated light fixture

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Integrated shutters

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Side view

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Parts design from the ceiling

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Hanging ribs from the ceiling structure

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Ceiling ribs complete set of parts

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Façade design drawing

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. 3d render from the ceiling

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Construction of the ceiling

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Construction of the facade walls

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Detail from the assembly design

Café Caché at Le Centquatre Paris — wooden shell made of CNC-cut panels by Sebastien Wierinck. Mockup at the studio