Canule dou, a takeout Canelé Shop cast in earth and wood in Osaka

In a dense pocket of Osaka where office towers meet restaurant frontages, a former lottery ticket booth has been reworked into a takeout only pastry shop for Canule dou, a brand devoted to canelés. The tenant unit is extremely compact, and the project treats that constraint as a chance to make identity legible at street speed, with a material presence that does not rely on trend signals.

The surrounding context is defined by quick turnover and constant visual refresh. Here, a purely minimalist or conventionally contemporary interior risks being absorbed, photographed once, and forgotten. The design takes a different route, aiming to protect the Canule dou brand image through tactility and craft. Organic, distinct, and quietly expressive, the space is conceived to age well, so its character can deepen rather than date.

The exterior is finished in earth, applied by skilled plaster craftsmen, giving the small façade a grounded, almost geological calm amid the commercial noise of the street. Inside, solid chestnut wood brings warmth and density, while handcrafted Kurotani washi paper by Hatanowataru softens light and adds a fine grain of texture. Together, the palette balances restraint with richness, creating a takeout bakery interior that feels intimate without becoming precious.

Two details anchor the shop’s presence as something instantly recognizable. A reduced scale solid wood back door reads like a crafted object within the tight plan, while a traditional Japanese noren curtain marks the threshold with a gentle, cultural clarity. In combination, they create an atmosphere that is iconic but not loud, a small retail architecture gesture that can hold its own over time, even as the city around it keeps changing.

Project Credit

Location: City of osaka, Osaka prefecture, Japan
Design firm: koyori / @koyori_kyoto_japan
Completion: Dec 2022
Building use: Canelé shop
Photograph: Junichi Usui