Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Exterior Photography, FacadeBirdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography, KitchenBirdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior PhotographyBirdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior PhotographyBirdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - More Images+ 11

Shanghai, China
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  25
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2021
  • Photographs
    Photographs:INSPACE
  • Founding Partners: Yu Zheng, Di Zhan
  • Design Team: Aijie Xiong, Shaokai Hou, Yuzheng Song, Nanqi Feng, Jie Li, Dejing Zou
  • Structure Consultants: Xin Yuan, Xinyu Cai, Xinwei Tao
  • City: Shanghai
  • Country: China
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Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Exterior Photography, Facade
© INSPACE

Text description provided by the architects. Located in Fengshengli, West Nanjing Road, Shanghai, this 25-square-meter coffee shop finds itself among tightly packed Shikumen buildings and commercial spaces. Situated right next to the metro station, it is in proximity to incessant traffic and pedestrian flow. To build a pacifying “emotional landmark” within the bustling scene became our first lead.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© INSPACE

Emotional Landmark. Using the method of “de-architecture,” we applied large areas of glass and matte-finish metal to create an outstretched and transparent space of white and grey. Meanwhile, the curved roof and the warm lighting moderates the cold, stringent imagery, coupling rigidity with softness.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography, Facade
© INSPACE

Roof, roof, roof. Roof has always been a keyspace element in our designs. In this particular case, rather than the roof being a mere signage board, we want the roof to establish a sort of structural aesthetics as the overall vision of the brand, which formalises the shop into some “white floating puffs” alleviating the metal space as a soft shelter for a short stay.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Image 16 of 16
axonometric
Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography, Bedroom
© INSPACE

Clouds, pillows, balloons, or spaceships – we avoid associating the roof with anyone's imagery, thereby encouraging people to imagine their own spontaneous connections to the space. Like how coffee gets rid of fatigue, we want these floaters to help people zone out a bit. Among other possibilities, the cloud imagery forms a discourse with “birdie” in the brand name and insinuates the Internet age, in which everything is relocated to the cloud and life becomes intertwined with digits.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography
© INSPACE

Working collaboratively with the engineering and construction team, we ended up using a C-shaped structure to support the entire roof so that we could keep only one ultra-thin column, preserving the sense of floating.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography
© INSPACE

A Coffee Stop. We worked with a limited palette and purposely lowered saturation to emphasize the free design of windows and facades, which serves to dissolve the barrier between customers and baristas. Finally, the oblique thin pillar adds a layer of dynamism to the space.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography
© INSPACE
Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Interior Photography, Bathroom
© INSPACE

From the overall framework to detailed expression, we pursue a balance of order and creativity, of industrial and temper. We hope this micro commercial architecture may fulfill its potential to calm sensation, spur the imagination, and slow down the hustle.

Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture - Exterior Photography, Facade
© INSPACE

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Project location

Address:Shanghai, China

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About this office
Cite: "Birdie Cup Coffee / F.O.G. Architecture" 25 Jan 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/973430/birdie-cup-coffee-fog-architecture> ISSN 0719-8884

© INSPACE

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