Glass has become a significant part of modern architecture. Some buildings creatively incorporate glass into their layout and design, sometimes even equipping it with additional functionalities.

The main draw of glass architecture is the openness it brings to a space, and how much natural light it can provide. 

The glasshouse cafe is becoming a highly popular concept. Glass windows and glass doors tend to give restaurants a sense of elegance and class. 

What is a Glass Cafe?

A glass house cafe is a modern cafe built entirely or partially with glass. A few examples of glass house cafes in our local backyard include Breakfast Thieves in Kuala Lumpur and Kenko in Penang. Glass exposes the cafe or restaurant to natural light and passers-by. This illuminates the space with natural light, saves energy, and even stokes the curiosity of pedestrians.

Certain qualities of glass like refractive index, thermal transmittance, infrared transmittance, visible light transmittance, ultraviolet transmittance, and chemical resistance have all been studied in the effort of creating high-performance buildings that are energy-efficient.

Experimenting with glass is primarily done in order to further develop it as raw material for modern buildings. Glass has an aesthetic beauty that no other material can match.

5 Benefits of a Glass House Cafe

Incorporating glass into your cafe is a modern yet simplistic choice. There are numerous tangible and intangible advantages to doing so. However, glass architecture benefits both the customers and the cafe owners.

Here are a few key advantages of the glass house cafe that you should know!

Natural Light and Openness

A glass partition wall allowing as much natural light as possible has a two-fold effect on your business. For starters, natural light improves ambiance and mood, benefiting both customers and staff.

Glass walls also make your café appear more open and spacious. This increases the impression of depth in your location and makes it appear larger than it is. 

Boosts Traffic & Encourage More Potential Customers

Particularly in today’s cutthroat culture, the first impression is frequently the final impression. Letting customers peer into your cafe can increase the number of walk-in guests you’ll receive.

If your space has great interior design, windows can be a great asset. They encourage potential customers to peer in, and if they like what they see, you’re good to go!

Sleek and Modern

In the age of social media, aesthetic quality has become very important to the average customer. Instagram enthusiasts, in particular, love finding awe-inspiring spaces to take photos in.

A building encased in glass definitely qualifies as unique!

Plus, with all that natural lighting, the photos practically edit themselves. It’s not a stretch to say that investing in the aesthetics of your space can contribute to a better online presence. 

Cost-Efficient and Environmental Friendly

Glass is actually highly cost-efficient and its sustainability makes it good for the environment. It is typically cheaper to install a partition wall compared to a concrete wall. A concrete wall requires more materials and manpower and offers little in terms of versatility. 

Make sure you choose the right sort of glass for this; something like double glazed tempered smart glass is a great choice. Source your glass partition walls from highly trusted glass suppliers in Malaysia. Then, you’re ready to build an eco-friendly space by incorporating hardy windows that overlook a green landscape.

Hygienic and Low Maintenance

A good number of cafes that incorporate this smart technology incur low maintenance. This is because they end up using less raw materials like cement or metals that can encounter wear-and-tear issues over time. 

Aside from that, glass walls (or even smart glass for that matter) can be cleaned fairly easily with a mild soap solution or water. Glass is also more hygienic and less likely to retain harmful bacteria or breed mould. 

5 Stylish Cafes in the Klang Valley

Most cafes have recognized the importance of integrating architecture into their interior and exterior design. Let’s take a look at some of them now.

1. The Glass House in Petaling Jaya

This cafe is a lovely setting with minimalist white decor, large windows, and a light-filled atmosphere. It is also among the most recognized cafes in Malaysia.

This two-story café has plenty of Instagrammable settings for you to shoot that ideal Instagram photo. 

This restaurant has incorporated glass that creates a conducive environment by regulating both the temperature and light that comes into the restaurant. The glass walls that run the length of this two-story cafe allow natural light to flow freely.

2. Pokok KL cafe in MAHSA Avenue

Pokok KL is a famous brunch destination, especially on weekends. This popular café is located in Kuala Lumpur, on the Jalan Universiti campus. It is surrounded by lush greenery and floor-to-ceiling walls bathed in natural light on sunny days. Aside from floor-to-ceiling glass walls, you’ll see exposed brick walls, rattan furniture, and a surprising expanse of trees. 

The glass structure gives it the feel of an urban greenhouse since it’s still situated within the heart of the city. The café offers both indoor and outdoor seating, but with the sheer amount of glass, you’ll feel like you’re outdoors either way! 

3. Delectable by Su HQ in Seputeh

Delectable is located in Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur. It has a welcoming and warm ambiance which makes it the best place to meet up with your loved ones.

As it’s located on the second floor and is fitted with a glass facade, the view is beautiful. You have a bird’s eye view of the greenery outdoors. 

The temperature of the space is very comfortable, thanks to the glass walls that help to regulate the internal temperature. Sunlight streams in through the windows, creating the ideal atmosphere for conversations, writing, or simply some alone time. 

4. Botanica+Co at Bangsar South

Botanica + Co is another glass house cafe that has gained substantial popularity. The cafe is located in Bangsar and it feels very much like a high-end bungalow.

This cafe is known for its floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which allow plenty of natural light to shine in during the day. Blinds are used to minimize light flow should it become too intense for customers during the afternoon hours.

At night, the glass walls offer a perfect view of Bangsar South lit up at night.

5. Gastrohub in Nilai

Gastrohub is located in Nilai and its greenhouse-like glass structure is one of its major attractions. Like other glass cafes on the list, it incorporates glass walls that allow natural light in and regulates temperature at the same time.

However, you can see that this extends to even the roof, making it seem like a true greenhouse. 

Smart Glass: The Future of Glass House Cafes

Glass house cafes are somewhat of a recent innovation. However, cafe and restaurant owners should not be stopping there. We at Chiefway believe that the glass house cafe still has loads of hidden potential.

The glass house combines beautiful scenery, natural lighting, versatility and convenience in one lightweight package. However, what if we told you that the glass itself could have its own upgrade? 

Smart glass or switchable glass is the next step forward for a glass house cafe. In fact, there are many eateries and entertainment venues that are already experimenting with this. Smart glass for restaurants and bars can bring a huge positive impact to the business. Where regular glass falls short, smart glass goes the extra mile. 

Smart glass is the next step in sustainable interior design. Smart glass offers better heat insulation, soundproofing, and energy efficiency. It’s even more secure than regular glass, and more durable. 

Moreover, you can customize smart glass to fit your walls, partitions, doors, and even ceilings. We also saw that modern glass house cafes are still using blinds to control light flow. Smart glass, on the other hand, can switch from transparent to opaque again at the push of a button. This makes it more convenient and hygienic than blinds or drapes. 

Check out this newly installed smart glass in the new Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Sunway City! 

Summary

The popularity of glass house cafes is sure to see an even greater rise in the coming years. Glass as a building material alone provides loads of benefits, but smart glass can offer even more.

So, if you own an eatery or any commercial space, consider how smart glass can improve it! Install smart glass today with Chiefway Malaysia, the best smart glass provider around.

Let us take on your project today!