Project Description
A stand-alone kiosk café designed for shopping malls. It includes counter seating plus a 200 sq. ft. seating area in front of the kiosk, with convenient electrical outlets for smart phones and computers, free Wi-Fi, and digital menu boards. Designed to be a destination and gathering place, these kiosk cafes operate in dozens of malls in the United States.
Health departments require roofs or canopies over kiosks located next to escalators or under balconies, however fire codes mandate that fire suppression sprinklers be able to protect areas under canopies. Conventional ceiling panels would block a mall’s existing sprinklers and require considerable expense to install additional sprinklers under canopies.
Designer and fabricator Ikoniq reconciled the conflict by using Ceilume drop-out ceiling panels that can be installed beneath sprinklers. The panels are made of a special thermoformed material that softens at elevated temperatures. When exposed to heat from a fire, the lightweight panels drop out of a conventional ceiling grid and allow sprinklers to function properly.
In some malls, fire codes required a percentage of the kiosk area be left uncovered. Ikoniq’s designers were able to satisfy this demand by opening the roof over the center of the kiosk where the sales staff works, and keeping the perimeter covered to protect the food.
The Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip roofs utilize Ceilume’s translucent panels to create luminous ceilings that spread a soft light on the food displays. By borrowing light from the mall’s skylights or overhead light fixtures, luminous ceilings eliminate the expense of additional lighting under the canopy. The glowing white panels are set off by brilliantly-painted steel framework in the signature Nestlé Toll House yellow. The distinctive appearance becomes part of the branding, increases kiosk visibility, and makes the cafés a more inviting island in open mall spaces.