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Last semester I studied abroad in London and traveled around Europe. In almost every city, I could find nearly identical independent coffee shops. They each had that slightly hipster vibe with lots of cement, unfinished or reclaimed wood, and a lot of vine plants. You’ve probably seen one of these, such as KLVN or Commonplace in Pittsburgh. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the aesthetic (apart from how expensive the coffee usually is) something feels weird about unrelated places all over the world looking the same.
This aesthetic has been dubbed “airspace” in a 2016 Verge article by Kyle Chanyka. He explains how algorithms have pushed a certain aesthetic of spaces that appeal to tourists, therefore pushing business owners to fit into that aesthetic, resulting in the homogeneity of coffee shops. Imagine you are a tourist in a new city. You look up “coffee shops near me” and Google shows you hundreds of coffee shops. They all sell the same thing: coffee. So what makes you choose a specific one? You probably want a local experience, but still something that feels comfortable and recognizable. And that’s where the aesthetic fits in. It’s somewhere between a chain like Starbucks or Costa and a hyper-local shop. You know they will have an iced oat latte. It is comfortable because we recognize it, and the decor suggests a high-end, crafted experience. I think it’s also an effect of social media apps such as Instagram and a desire for local coffee shops to be trendy and attract the business of wealthy tourists. Many coffee shops are specifically designed to look good on social media as a way of gaining business.
Airspace is an effect of globalization. People travel more but want to stay in their comfort zone. Airports and hotels are often very consciously decorated to achieve this because it’s easy, cheap, and makes it clear the space is not meant for permanent habitation, but a transitional space. However, this transient design is not what I want from my local coffee shop.
The troubling reality is that gentrification is accelerating the spread of this aesthetic. Gentrification drives up rent prices and pushes out local businesses which are replaced by chains or restaurants and coffee shops that fit this digestible and marketable aesthetic. Areas around Pittsburgh like East Liberty and Bakery Square are filled almost exclusively by spaces that fit this aesthetic.
As a designer, I have thought a lot about this. Last year, I was introduced to the term cosmopolitan localism, which sits between globalization and hyper localization and merges the best parts of globalization with local culture, materials, and design. It’s driven by the idea that spaces and communities can be part of a global network but retain their independent personalities. For example, a cafe in Kyoto could use traditional Japanese joinery and handmade ceramics in an airy space filled with plants. This feels recognizable and comfortable but is distinctly different from a coffee shop in Paris with wicker tables and art nouveau decor.
While I don’t have direct solutions, I know that change happens when we as consumers start making conscious choices. By choosing spaces that celebrate local communities, crafts, and materials we start a shift away from the homogeneity and to distinct, authentic experiences
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