Text description provided by the architects. Cheers Burger, one of the most talked-about restaurants in Shanghai, is Atelier A’s new project. With the studio’s signature simple and practical style, the restaurant has become an unexpected hit. Cheers Burger is located at the crossroads of Yanqing Rd and Changshu Rd in the old town area, where many independent restaurants and boutiques unfortunately closed down during the pandemic. Recently, a large number of new shops opened in their place, fashionable and flamboyant, yet appearing incongruous in the old town. Therefore, the studio aims to keep the old and battered look of the original building without too much interference, in order to make it consistent with its environment. The project embodies Atelier A’s philosophies of designing for practicality, respecting the history of the building, and not decorating for decoration’s sake.
The small construction might have been an electrical room before. During the neighbour shop’s renovation at the beginning of this year, the green tiles on the façade came off, revealing the original beige tiles, and the frames of the original door and window. This time, the architect restored and reinforced the door, re-opened the blocked window to make the small restaurant feel brighter and bigger from the inside.
The beige tiles on the right and above the door have been kept. The left side was damaged too much by the neighbour’s renovation, and hence was repaired with concrete, on which vertical lines were marked with a rake to add some fun and variety. A wood board is hanging outside the concrete wall for menus and notices.
The inside of the restaurant is decorated with simple fluorescent tubes and plywood cupboards. The whole inner space is decorated with hand-made auburn tiles, creating a warm atmosphere. Its rustic and weathered look is consistent with the style of the façade. The restaurant is too small to accommodate tables and seats, therefore only offers fast food for takeaway. Yet it is so popular that a lot of customers eat sitting on the pavement, which has become an interesting phenomenon.
