Helnium × Coffee

Project Context

This collaboration with Le Glarner Kaffee in Frauenfeld was developed in close dialogue with Hermann Glarner, who leads the coffee roasting process.

Rather than producing a decorative visual inspired by coffee, the objective was to work directly with the material itself — extracting and crystallizing caffeine derived from their roasted beans. The project connects traditional roasting craftsmanship with laboratory chemistry.

From Roasting to Molecule

Le Glarner Kaffee is fundamentally a roastery. The transformation of green coffee beans through controlled thermal processes defines the identity of the product.

Roasting modifies:

• Aromatic compounds
• Chemical composition
• Color and structure of the bean

Caffeine, however, remains a stable molecular component throughout the process.

Laboratory Extraction and Crystallization

Caffeine was extracted from roasted coffee using controlled laboratory techniques. The process involved:

• Solid–liquid extraction
• Filtration and purification
• Solvent evaporation
• Controlled recrystallization

Under specific conditions, caffeine forms well-defined crystalline structures. These crystals were then imaged using polarized-light microscopy, revealing structural geometry and intrinsic optical behavior. The coloration observed is not artificially added. It results from light interaction with the crystalline lattice under polarized conditions. By isolating and crystallizing caffeine, the collaboration makes visible the molecular architecture behind an everyday experience. The project transformed:

Roasting process → Molecular structure → Crystal formation → Visual identity.