Connecting at Café Pearl

With RISD Weekend just a week away (October 7–9), Providence-based designer Aja Blanc MA 06 is looking forward to catching up with former classmates over coffee at the RISD Museum’s recently opened Café Pearl. 

Aja and her husband Ben Blanc MFA 04 FD, who met when they were grad students at RISD, co-designed the hip new gathering space based in part on inspirational archival images of RISD dining halls dating back to the 1950s.

“The treasure trove of images we studied formed the foundation for our aesthetic and philosophical approach to the design,” says Aja. “Based on this research and our deep interests in materiality and formalist approaches, we developed a design that continues the [minimalist] tradition of campus dining spaces.”

The Blancs also took advantage of their many RISD relationships when looking for just just the right fixtures and details. Talented designer Asher Rodriquez-Dunn 08 ID created the handsome tables and benches (above), for example, while Calico Wallpaper, co-owned by Rachel Cope 03 SC and her husband Nick, designed the subtle, monochromatic accent wall (below).