This rehabilitation project converts a wine storage into a stone archive. The owner wants to provide a space to foster communications between architects. In the design of the catering space for the stone archive, we create a new spatial experience by redefining the physicality of stone. We challenge the notion of “heaviness and rigidity” in stone by reinventing stone crafts. The catering space consists of four parts: restaurant, bar, café and kitchenette. There is also a small library attached to the wall of the bar.
The two lighting volumes made of onyx are the major elements of the space. The translucent and white onyx suspends in space, creating an aura of gracefulness in the bar area. As the volume is lit, visitors experience the weightlessness in stone. The floor is a stone carpet made of 20,000 parametrically arranged triangular slabs. The stone carpet combines water-jet cutting and handcraft to form a tapestry with spatial continuity. The magic stone carpet becomes the matrix to generate furniture for the restaurant and the café. The 1.5m wide table in the restaurant is completed sculpted from stone. The table top is anchored in the center with rest suspended in space. The curvature in the section of the table reflects the gravity change in the piece: a bond center with the edge thin out to be 15mm. The elegant suspension creates a new understanding for stone table top. The three lightings hanging over the restaurant stone tables are called “pagodas.” Every light piece measures 1.7m long and 1m wide. It is folded and assembled by 2cm thick white marbles. The heaviness in marble creates a contrast with the lightness in the suspension of the lighting. As the marble surface folded downwards, it gives a human scale to people that sit on the table. The tables in the café area are crafted in stone. It is designed with a more casual atmosphere that allows visitors to hang their belongings by the table.
Client: Beijing Tian Cheng Ying Liang Stone Co., Ltd.
Location: Beijing city Chaoyang District Beiyuan North Qu Winery International Art District F1-1001
Atelier Alter: Atelier Alter
Principals in Charge: Xiaojun Bu Yingfan Zhang
Design Team：Kai Qin, Zhenwei Li, Dehu Du, Tongwei Liu
Civil/Structure/MEP Engineer：Jie Jin, Zhe Li, Wei Li, Ming Cheng
Landscape Architect：Xiaojun Bu, Dehu Du
General Contractor: Zongyang Jinfeng Decoration Co., Ltd., Beijing Jingcheng Yongshun Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Year: 2016
Photographs: Courtesy of Atelier Alter
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