VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Image 6 of 22VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - BeamVOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Table, ChairVOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Windows, Forest, BeamVOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - More Images+ 17

  • Architects: atelier suasua
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  264
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2016
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Xu Zhang, Xiaomeng Su
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  FUYAO GLASS, JIDD, Koizumi
  • Lead Architect: Xiaomeng Su
More SpecsLess Specs
VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Windows, Beam
Main street day view. Image © Xu Zhang

The factory
Comparing to those iconic big factory buildings with Bauhaus style in 798 zone, this factory is not so special and obvious. Its history is impossible to trace back, and tenants afterwards also made a lot of add-on in both interior and exterior space. It also reduced the original form of massing which is more and more ambiguous. The plan is almost a C shape, with an enclosed courtyard. The interior space is naturally split to 3 independent rectangular rooms for different tenants.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Windows, Facade, Courtyard
Courtyard day view. Image © Xu Zhang

The room rent by coffee shop had been cut each floor into small office rooms previously. Due to the large depth and limited window opening size, the whole interior space looks very dim. In the same time another small box adding onto the street elevation makes the outline very obscure.

Plan

Back to the origin
The concept of VOYAGE COFFEE brand is very simple and strong, “make good coffee”.  So this concept also became the start point of architectural design. We reckon turning the space back to the origin is maybe the biggest respect to both the brand and the space.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Table, Chair, Shelving
GF void zone. Image © Xu Zhang

Café space requires bright and refreshing atmosphere,  but masonry-concrete structure doesn’t allow big window. So we followed the existing structural column and strengthen the structure. The façade along the street is also separated vertically to two parts. The square steel in between is wider than other. It is to avoid the view of big thermal pipelines of 798 overhead on that height level along the street.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Beam
Adjacent to bicycle shop. Image © Xu Zhang

The coffee counter area requires lower ceiling height, so a new reinforced concrete frame system is inserted into the space, a second floor is added near the courtyard side. We try to minimize the effect of new structure on the original interior space form. And the new structure gives the building a space contrast between lower and higher.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Table, Chair
View from 2nd floor. Image © Xu Zhang

In the same building, there is a customized bicycle shop on the other side of the wall. We demolished this load-bearing wall and replaced with steel structure which make the space more fluid. Customers can enter from entry either café’s or bicycle shop’s, also can have enjoy interesting experience of drinking coffee while watching engineer fixing bicycle. In the same time the new second floor space play the role of their open office. The outside ground of courtyard is newly poured with concrete entirely, to make sure no step in between in and out. In the season of spring and summer, shadow of tree can cover the whole courtyard, naturally become an ideal outdoor coffee place. The full height glazing on the façade also enhance the space continuity.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Chair, Table, Windows
GF. Image © Xu Zhang
VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Image 16 of 22
Coffee counter. Image © Xu Zhang

After the renovation, the general massing is more clear, space also finally get the chance to talk to sunlight. There is no eye catching or very exciting design element in it. However it is like a big vessel, people stay, walk, interact, feel calm and delighted.

VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua - Table, Windows, Chair, Beam
Bicycle open office on 2nd floor. Image © Xu Zhang

Project gallery

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Project location

Address:798 art zone, Beijing, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "VOYAGE 798 Coffee House / atelier suasua" 25 Jul 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/921532/voyage-coffee-798-atelier-suasua> ISSN 0719-8884

Adjacent to bicycle shop. Image © Xu Zhang

北京 798 VOYAGE 咖啡店 / atelier suasua

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