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Architects: SpaceStation
- Area: 8 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:WeiQi JIN
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Manufacturers: Beijing Shengyu Sinao Building Materials, Golden Autumn Plate, Qieruixi
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Lead Architects: Zheng WANG
Cenchi Coffee Jiaodaokou shop is quite diminutive, its size a mere 8 square meters. This project began at the end of the pandemic, which also led directly to the choice of this small empty site. Our thought stream went along these lines: The epidemic has brought cataclysmic changes to the lives of a great many people, and if even face-to-face breathing hides potential danger, then what does it really mean to "have a cup of coffee together"?
Our friendship with the creators of Cenchi Coffee comes a long way. They hoped this project would push beyond the commonplace of "window shop" cafés so that the 8 square meters of the venue could provide a galvanizing communication space for patrons. Two easily available materials were picked for our proposal: multi-layer panels were selected for all interior furniture, allowing us to squeeze out two seating areas facing the urban landscape. Indoor and outdoor interfaces apply the customary bridge-cutoff aluminum alloy door and window system uniformly applied by the adjoining stores. The difference lies in that each window frame has a handle, the opening direction of the doors and windows, and the force nodes have been redesigned. Additionally, careful consideration is given to human scale: seats, tables, awnings, signboards, and other furniture can be assembled by patrons just by the act of opening the window sashes.
This project explores the possibilities of building in culturally-loaded locations such as the streets of Beijing’s old city. Our scheme transforms the architectural elements of the facade into furniture, to a great extent, it bears a direct similarity to the spontaneous construction and "borrowing" of building components commonly practiced by local residents. By observing and conceptualizing this form of "borrowing", we aspire to elevate it to abstract thinking, while bringing in a solution that feels familiar and easy to grasp. Furthermore, the venue allows patrons to sit on the floor or on the steps, blurring boundaries between indoor and urban spaces. The scenes of spontaneous neighborhood life that made the very fabric of the hutongs are presented anew in a designed way.
As architects, we aim to embrace an "optimistic" attitude through this project. This venue will not only show a very open posture, but hopefully, it will also be a site where "events that can only happen in urban space" take place, thus encouraging reluctant patrons to leave their abodes and dip back into city life.
