Racks is an unconventional board game café located in Sharjah. The core concept of Racks is to create a space where people can enjoy board games in a stylish and thoughtfully designed environment. The café stands out for its unique design, which is based on gamification and interaction with the space, making it attractive to both younger and older generations.

One of the key features of Racks is their custom board game, named after Sharjah. This game helped the café gain popularity among the locals and led to a successful collaboration with a new venue — the American University of Sharjah. This is the largest university, practically a city within a city. Recently, Starbucks vacated a space on campus, and Racks took over, adding a fresh approach to the traditional café concept.

The main design solution was to use the idea of a board game as the foundation for the café’s layout. Upon receiving the space, they discovered a large circular column right in the center. This led to the idea of turning a drawback into an advantage by wrapping the column with asymmetrically placed orange shelves, creating a sense of dynamism. As a result, this central feature becomes a focal point, with different guest zones forming around it.

Each zone in the café is designed as a separate play area. Cozy nooks for couples, large sofas for groups, and a communal table for players looking to meet new people all share the overarching theme of gaming. Even the bar is designed in the café’s signature colors and cubic shapes to harmonize with the other elements.

The furniture is designed with open structures, highlighting the gaming elements in the interior. The round legs of tables and sofas extend beyond their edges, visually connecting to the concept of board games. A notable feature is the merch area, designed with surreal elements: pipes and a distorted mirror enhance the playful atmosphere. Nearby, there is a wall designed for collecting Polaroid photos of all the café’s visitors.

Design: KIDZ
Design Team: Ruben Movsisian, Daniil Savinskiy, Artem Lebedev, Tatyana Kurochkina
Photography: Ruben Movsisian