Design of %arabica Coffee Shop in Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley | Coffee Shop Design Appreciation

How to awaken dormant local culture has become a hot topic in the design industry in recent years. As the younger generation increasingly emphasizes the promotion and display of local culture, many people have transformed old buildings, integrating them with modern design to provide spaces where people can gather and communicate, as well as opportunities to showcase local urban culture.

Today, we're going to talk about a coffee shop located in a Western Sichuan courtyard house from the Kangxi period—%Arabica in Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley.

The building is situated in a peaceful and serene corner of the bustling city. Everyone who comes here slows their pace, feeling the tranquil beauty brought by the old architecture. Therefore, the creation of this coffee shop was approached from the perspective of the old building, integrating the café into this space rich in historical and cultural heritage, allowing visiting guests not only to enjoy coffee but also to experience local history through the spatial details of the coffee shop.

To allow the coffee shop to retain the most original appearance of the old building, all wooden structures were preserved and reinforced with steel materials. The pathways were paved with gray bricks, and "scattered" seating areas made of gray bricks were placed along both sides of the pathways, blending harmoniously with the building's own blue bricks and dark tiles. This brings the memories and historical cultural atmosphere of Kuanzhai Alley into the coffee shop, providing rich spatial experiences for every visiting guest, allowing everyone to wander through the coffee shop and feel the peaceful and serene atmosphere of this area.

Chinese Romance in the Courtyard

The romance of the Chinese people is reflected in the café's courtyard location. Chinese architecture emphasizes feng shui, and building a water pool in the courtyard directly facing the main gate can bring harmony and prosperity to a family. Water pools inherently carry the meaning of gathering wealth and also represent only receiving, not giving. However, creating a courtyard water pool within a coffee shop would increase the difficulty of daily management.

Therefore, the design team adopted the concept of a courtyard water pool, paving stones in the central courtyard area. The surroundings of the "water pool" use floor-to-ceiling glass, which not only allows the café's interior to be bathed in the tranquil atmosphere brought by natural light but also enables guests to feel the "flow" of water through the overall transparency of the space. To enhance the visual effect, water lily leaves were placed in the courtyard area, making the entire space look more like a crystal-clear water pool. Around the floor-to-ceiling glass, a circle of pure white seating creates the sensation of water's edge.

Harmonious Integration

The coffee shop's bar counter is positioned directly opposite the main gate, facing the courtyard "water pool," and uses a pure white color scheme that better integrates with the building's natural tones. The vibrant scene of the entire coffee shop evokes memories of old Chengdu life. As guests move, converse, rest, and enjoy themselves, the overall spatial experience undergoes dynamic changes.

Dialogue Between History and Modernity

By showcasing the original structure and traditional elements of the old building, and integrating them with a modern coffee shop through minimalist aesthetics, a continuous dialogue between history and modernity is presented.

Image: BLUE Architecture Studio

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