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Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe
Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe
Shanghai, China
Finalist, 2023 A+Awards, Commercial - Commercial Interiors (<25,000 sq ft.)
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Other Projects by Neri & Hu
Blue Bottle Zhang Yuan Cafe
Shanghai, China
Finalist, 2023 A+Awards, Commercial - Commercial Interiors (<25,000 sq ft.)
In 2022, as Zhang Yuan reopens to the public after a complete rehabilitation of its historic buildings, Neri&Hu was commissioned by Blue Bottle to create a retail space in one of the old Shikumen typology residences. Within this vast network of alleys, people would go about in their daily hustle and bustle, but Shanghainese could always appreciate a moment of leisure. Neri&Hu hopes to capture the spirit of the local urban fabric and weave a narrative journey for both locals and visitors to appreciate.
A primitive shelter, symbolizing a return to the origin of architecture, is erected in the center of the space; it is where coffee is prepared and served, and forms the visual and circulatory focal point of the project. Along the exterior wall of the old building, an elongated space connects the main street to the atriums. This alley-like space within the building accommodates several benches and small tables against windows and walls, a nod to the leisurely social moments of life in the Shikumen.
To contrast with the heavy palette of the existing architecture, Neri&Hu studied the structure and its tectonic joinery, to make it as light as possible. The roof structure is built with brushed stainless steel while the roof surface is made of perforated and bent steel, materials that reflect the surroundings in a subtle and fuzzy manner. Neri&Hu was inspired by the informal construction and simple attachments that people once used to extend their private spaces into alleys, the existing structural columns are thus commandeered with added metal rods and small platforms to function as light rails, side tables, benches, and object displays. The project features a selection of repurposed traditional old furniture, on which traces of time bestow a sense of warmth and familiarity, merging old and new, Blue Bottle and Shanghai.
A primitive shelter, symbolizing a return to the origin of architecture, is erected in the center of the space; it is where coffee is prepared and served, and forms the visual and circulatory focal point of the project. Along the exterior wall of the old building, an elongated space connects the main street to the atriums. This alley-like space within the building accommodates several benches and small tables against windows and walls, a nod to the leisurely social moments of life in the Shikumen.
To contrast with the heavy palette of the existing architecture, Neri&Hu studied the structure and its tectonic joinery, to make it as light as possible. The roof structure is built with brushed stainless steel while the roof surface is made of perforated and bent steel, materials that reflect the surroundings in a subtle and fuzzy manner. Neri&Hu was inspired by the informal construction and simple attachments that people once used to extend their private spaces into alleys, the existing structural columns are thus commandeered with added metal rods and small platforms to function as light rails, side tables, benches, and object displays. The project features a selection of repurposed traditional old furniture, on which traces of time bestow a sense of warmth and familiarity, merging old and new, Blue Bottle and Shanghai.
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