Circular Design at Tate Modern: Furniture from Coffee & Shell Waste
Overview
In the summer of 2023, London’s Tate Modern unveiled Corner — a striking new cafe and bar by Holland Harvey Architects, serving visitors from morning coffee to evening cocktails. At the heart of the redesign lies a commitment to sustainable, experiential design — evident in Spared’s collaboration on bespoke tables and cake stands made from Tate’s own coffee grounds and shell waste.
Collaboration & Concept
Holland Harvey’s redesign embraced circular design principles from the outset, sourcing locally and ethically. We were invited, alongside other collaborators, to create bespoke meaningful furniture for the space. While we transformed on-site coffee waste into functional, expressive surfaces, Goldfinger crafted tables and benches from felled trees – including the beautiful timber based beneath our coffee composite table tops. A collaboration rooted in shared values of craft, innovation and storytelling.
Material & Process
Tate collected spent coffee grounds from its in-house roasting operation and sent quantities to our Brighton studio. Here, every batch was baked to remove moisture before being mixed with shell–seafood waste to create a durable composite. The result: tactile, circular tabletops and matching cake stands that visually soften the space and reinforce the sustainability narrative .
In collaboration with Holland Harvey, these pieces contribute to a cohesive environmental story — a landmark example of sustainable retail design in cultural architecture. Their patinated surfaces evoke a warm, organic palette set against the gallery’s industrial shell.
A Space That Transforms
The space operates as a dynamic gathering spot for all—a café by day, a bar and event space by night, complete with DJ booth functionality. We designed a range of scale-sensitive furniture: low coffee tabletops for relaxed seating, dining tabletops and elevated cake stands for food service — all echoing the same coffee-shell aesthetic and material narrative.
Their forms are clean and geometric, at once resistant to wear and feel inherently inviting. The surfaces’ subtle textures and flecks invite touch—a sensory invitation that aligns with Holland Harvey’s vision for inclusivity and material authenticity .
Awards
- New London Architecture, Retail & Hospitality (Shortlisted) – Corner Tate Modern x Holland Harvey
- AJ Architecture Award, Leisure (Shortlisted) – Corner Tate Modern x Holland Harvey
- AJ Retrofit Award, Fit-Out (Shortlisted) – Corner Tate Modern x Holland Harvey
- Frame Awards, Bar of the Year (Shortlisted) – Corner Tate Modern x Holland Harvey
Circular Design at Tate Modern: Why it Matters
Our contribution to Corner exemplifies how waste can be reframed into design opportunity. By using Tate’s own coffee grounds — materials otherwise discarded on-site — we helped Holland Harvey embed durability and meaning directly into each surface. The result is a sensory, environment that tells a layered story of craftsmanship, place, and circularity.
From early material trials in Brighton to the finished installation in London’s premier cultural landmark, this collaboration highlights:
- Circular design in action — reusing site-waste as a design resource
- Creative partnership — aligning architects, craftspeople, and galleries in a shared vision
- Cultural impact — offering an environmentally literate yet beautifully tactile dining destination
Explore More
- Read Wallpaper*’s feature on the redesign and furniture choices
- See Architects’ Journal on sustainability and collaborations in design
- Learn more via The Spaces’ interior review
- View Frame Magazine’s insight into the public realm narrative
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to explore bespoke sustainable furniture and material solutions for your next cultural or hospitality project.
