Return Café / Atelier FANZHENG

Curated by 韩爽 - HAN Shuang

Architects: Atelier FANZHENG
Area: 120 m²
Year: 2018

Text description provided by the architects. Kulangsu island has a superior geographical environment. The special colonial culture has brought a large number of Western architectures. However, After decades of erosion, the original building has become dilapidated. We hope to bring it renewed spirit by redesign.

The original building is located in the courtyard of a hotel in Kulangsu island, where there is a difference in elevation. The fomer building is sprinkled with grey bricks and weeds spring up at will. The original wall structure and wood ceiling are seriously damaged, which cannot be used safely anymore.

Surrounded by lush greenery, we want to make it a multi-functional, public party space for both catering and exhibitions.

Return Café / Atelier FANZHENG - Chair, Table, Brick, Beam — Interior. Image Courtesy of Atelier FANZHENG

Design Concept
1. On the foundation of the original building, we extend the form of a sloping roof to enlarge the interior space , then combine the old and new building by inserting a rectangular exhibition space.

2. we design a cylindrical space in the middle of the building axis, the lower part forms a circular static pool, and the upper part forms a roof rest platform. People can ramble around the still water pool.

3. Insert the steel structure girders into the wooden rafters of the original truss, and strengthen the original building by adding steel columns to ensure the safety of the building.

4. The pool not only connect the three functional areas of catering, exhibition and roof terrace to be connected but also maintain the independence of each other, forming a rich and interesting activity space.

Architectural Reality
The cafe is located on the first floor. After entering the gate, people can only see the sloping roof . the cafe will be seen only when people passing through the courtyard shaded by the greenery and go down stairs.

Entering the cafe, you will see the water pool at first sight. the sky and the surrounding environment reflected on the pool. The symmetrical pattern and the wooden grille of the compartment also express a strong sense of order.

Along the circular glass curtain wall, The exhibition space divides people flows into two sides , the left side is exhibition space and the right side is landscape space , forming a circular flow route.

When people approach the central still pool, they can see the curved sky when they look up. This place introduces the natural changes of the outside world into the interior, creating a diverse space atmosphere.

The combination of light and wooden furniture and rammed earth walls creates a warm and comfortable feeling. We also preserved the rafters, tiles, and brick walls of the original building, which are part of the architectural texture, revealing the traces of time, allowing people to feel the memory of the building.

Outside the cafe,the courtyard is open to the public. Surrounded by green plants , the courtyard connected to the open roof terrace. In the future, art salons, parties and creative markets will be held here , and private event venues will also be accepted.