A unique cafe in Helsinki is drawing attention from coffee lovers and tech geeks around the world. As part of Helsinki's year as World Design Capital, internet users can log on to the cafe's website to change the height of the tables and chairs, the lighting, and even what's playing on the jukebox.

A unique cafe in Helsinki is drawing attention from coffee lovers and tech geeks around the world.

Coffee lovers in Helsinki can now combine their caffeine fix with an unusual design experiment at a high-tech venue. Kauko Cafe is part of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 festival, it allows members of the public to control design elements inside the cafe, from their computers or smartphone applications.

Laura Aalto, marketing director of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, said, "What we want to make is to have people think about design. If we can surprise them with a different kind of message in a different surrounding, a different kind of environment where they're not use to face design, I think that's a good idea."

Opening from 12:30 every day, the cafe brings in a steady stream of customers, most of which have a challenging time trying to drink their coffee as the chairs move up and down.

Marikka Korkeaila, student, said, "It's exciting. I've never seen this kind of thing before. And i just asked, what is it about, and it was exciting to hear like it's actually for the design so you would really understand the meaning of design, how important it is to stay in the certain height and I like it. Like now, now it's going down. This is difficult!"

Website and app users can control eight chairs and four tables in the restaurant, as well as the brightness of lighting, selection of music, from pop to heavy metal. Once logged on to the website, users have 60 seconds to control an element within the cafe and watch video of the effect their actions have on customers.

The Kauko Cafe will be open in Helsinki's Forum shopping centre until the middle of February, and will then 'pop-up' at venues across southern Finland during the World Design Capital year.

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