Not quite a café, not quite a showroom, nor is it another “lifestyle” space, the new Jakarta opening of Space Available—a Bali-based creative platform and environmental design studio founded by husband-and-wife duo Daniel Mitchell and Hilda Sembiring—is, kind of, its own thing.
The facade offers the first clue: a soft blue sculptural block, speckled like marble and carved with the outline of the Kemang fruit, is crafted entirely from recycled plastic. Step through the red tunnel entrance, and the narrative deepens. Inside, nearly every surface tells a story of reuse—around 11 tonnes of waste are reimagined into tables, racks, sofas, and wall panels, while at the centre, a tree stands amidst a ring of used bottle caps. Down at the sunken corner is a bar, serving ‘medicinal’ lattes that feature ingredients such as lion’s mane and cordyceps.
Less than a month since opening its doors in Kemang—its first outpost outside of Bali—and Space Available is already shaping out to be a space that doesn’t fit neatly into given ideas about a conventional establishment. A meditation studio, a listening library, an amphitheatre-like conversation pit equipped with a plastic recycling machine, and a reading room all coexist under one roof, calling itself a “self-care community centre”.
The Jakarta space is a collaboration with A3000 Cultural Collective, taking over an Andra Matin-designed building formerly known as Aksara Bookstore—a beloved cultural hub in Kemang that opened in 2001. “Around 2023, we had the idea to rejuvenate the building and wanted to do something meaningful, like using plastic waste as part of the new façade. While researching, we came across Space Available on Instagram, and we were immediately drawn to their philosophy and aesthetic,” said Hendy Kana, founder of A3000 Cultural Collective.
“The space is modular, so it’s always evolving. You might visit today and find it one way, and next time, it’s entirely different. And each area serves its purpose—there’s no fixed format or formula to experiencing the space, everyone is free to interpret their own version of self-care here.” He added, “We also wanted to stay true to the original vision of the building. It’s always been a cultural landmark in Kemang, so we made a point to preserve and honour that identity. Keeping that connection to the past lets us celebrate its heritage while still pushing it forward as a vibrant cultural hub for Jakarta.”
Since its beginnings in Bali as a clothing label, Space Available has focused on one goal: to build a system where they create no waste. Over the years, Dan and Hilda, along with their team, have worked with a network of collaborators—from artists and designers to bio-activists, waste collectors, and factories in Indonesia and the UK—to produce consciously-made and one-of-a-kind clothing, furniture, and accessories, advocating the idea that waste can be creatively transformed into functional, well-designed objects. The bigger picture is to develop a truly circular system—all values and intentions that A3000 Cultural Collective also vouch for and hopes to amplify in the city.
So far, things are getting done. Back in 2021, Space Available launched the Bali Recycling Club, a street clean-up initiative that transforms collected plastic waste into raw materials for its in-house design and recycling workshops. Carrying this mission forward in Jakarta, the Kemang space hosts the Kemang Recycling Club, a weekly Sunday clean-up session followed by hands-on workshops inside the venue.
Every 66 days, the space also undergoes what the team calls “Rituals 66”—a thematic transformation that could include anything from a new menu rotation to an updated book selection or a refreshed interior layout. Why 66 days? “Because research says it takes 66 days to form new habits,” said Hendy, deriving from Space Available’s ritualistic practice of building new habits through simple, consistent actions.
The current theme revolves around mushrooms, which pops up across various offerings, from medicinal mushroom-infused coffee creations (which tastes amusingly subtle) to dishes and desserts like the Miso Butter Cremini, a sourdough crostini shell filled with umami miso, herbs, flat-leaf parsley, and crispy garlic, and Three-Ways Mushroom lava cake, served with candied shiitake and parmesan porcini gelato. Alongside these specials, a mainstay menu of breakfast bowls, soups, and small plates highlights locally grown ingredients such as tempeh, farm eggs, seasonal greens, and fresh fruits, emphasising practices that make way for a holistic approach rather than trends.
While creating a space is one thing, building a community and making a real impact is another. Space Available, in collaboration with A3000 Cultural Collective, doesn’t claim to solve today’s systematic environmental crises, but the new space offers a sober and creative starting point. Now reaching a wider audience in the capital, it hopes to be a place where, in time, shared interests can take root, small actions can ripple outward, and habit-building becomes a collective ritual.