LAHORE: A heavy ax cuts through the air and slams into the center of a wooden board placed in the room, hurled by a youngster clad in an orange Personal Protective Equipment. Behind him, another woman paints bold, looping strokes on a wall after vigorously shaking a spray paint can.
This isn’t the scene of a violent protest in Pakistan, but that of a popular cafe in the eastern city of Lahore named “The Alt Space.” Young people come here in droves every day, smashing glass, hurling axes and breaking stuff in a “rage room” by throwing it around. And if it doesn’t get any better than this, the cafe offers hot and cold beverages ranging from espressos to lattes, frappes and sodas.
Pakistan’s cultural hub, Lahore, has seen activity-theme cafes open up in recent years. These places blend the typical cafe environment with a specific activity or purpose, meant to offer younger audiences unique experiences. While some offer walk-in painting courses, others like The Alt Space feature rage rooms.
Azfar Shahid, co-founder of The Alt Space, said his cafe offers the city’s first rage room and ax throwing experience. He said it attracts mostly people in the 15-35 age group, adding that 70 percent of the people who frequent The Alt Space are women.
