The buzzing atmosphere of Chengdu’s Kuanzhai Alley has set the tone for this cafe by BLUE Structure Studio, which is centred on a water-filled courtyard for people-watching.
Kuanzhai Alley is the collective title for 3 parallel roads working via downtown Chengdu, encompassing Kuan Alley, Zhai Alley and Jing Alley.
The trio of streets dates again to the Qing dynasty. However because the early 2000s, it has turn into populated with numerous fashionable outlets, bars, eating places and cafes together with % Arabica, which now occupies a former residence.
Knowledgeable by these bustling streets, BLUE Architecture Studio designed the espresso model’s newest outpost to be “like a small neighbourhood the place folks can stroll and keep for some time”.
“We imagine {that a} cafe supplies greater than only a drink,” defined the studio. “Extra considerably, espresso supplies alternatives for folks to collect, talk and absolutely expertise the native city tradition.”
“By extending the colourful dwelling and cultural environment of the alley into the cafe, we renovated the location to make it a dynamic public area that gives a wealthy and stable expertise,” the studio added.
A pavement-style pathway runs via % Arabica‘s meandering inside, fashioned from the identical gray bricks which are ubiquitous to the Kuanzhai Alley space.
Extra of the bricks have been used to make the cafe’s planters, in addition to a couple of blocky benches that invite folks to perch and chat.
Alternatively, prospects can occupy barely extra non-public seating cubicles in a single nook of the cafe, that are lined with handmade white bricks.
Orders may be positioned at an enormous white counter on the rear of the plan, conceived as a sort of “roadside store” that prospects bump into whereas strolling down the cafe’s winding path.
On the centre of the constructing, BLUE Structure Studio reinstated an open-air courtyard that the earlier occupants had lined with a pitched roof.
Surrounded by glass panels, the brand new courtyard is crammed with a mattress of white pebbles and a shallow pool of water.
Working across the perimeter of the area is a sequence of all-white counters and stools, permitting prospects to people-watch whereas having fun with their espresso.
“The particular expertise of seeing and being seen helps to boost the curiosity of the area,” mentioned BLUE Structure Studio.
“Individuals can stroll, relaxation and luxuriate in time freely within the cafe,” the studio continued. “The colourful scene stands for a reappearance of life from previous Chengdu.”
This is not the primary time that Beijing-based BLUE Architecture Studio has labored with % Arabica.
Again in 2020, the studio designed the espresso model’s Shanghai outpost as a U-shaped glass field in order that guests can observe the streets past.
The pictures is by Zhi Xia.
