As the first Ru Coffee store of the BTG Homeinns, managing a clear and unique brand image has become an important issue in this project. As a coffee shop with brand awareness, we need to adopt a clear and strong spatial strategy to unify function and aesthetics in order to return to the ideal of ‘home’.
The original space mixes multiple groups into a large space and interferes with each other, while “home” is more likely with different rooms performing their duties and connecting each other at the same time. Meanwhile, like a coffee shop, it needs to carry the social attributes for the public, and it is also a diversion device for urban activity generators. In this regard, the design method adopted is to place a ‘HOME IN HOUSE’, which not only guarantees the privacy and sense of placement in many areas but also allows flow through the inside and outside of the room.
People walk into the cafe from the sunken courtyard, then see the bar and a coffee bean display area. The interior uses the only main element-red bricks as a means of expression, and outlines the rhythm of the space through the differences in wall cladding styles, and directs the flow of people to different areas.
Several holes on the wall flow into the two-dimensional space formed by the expanded surface of the ‘HOME IN HOUSE’, realizing the dynamic penetration and communication of adjacent spaces. The high wall outside the room shows an indigo blue display cabinet, which forms a strong contrast between the warm and cold inside and outside.
The innermost space is a room that can be used as both a coffee and meeting room, which also continues the cozy atmosphere of the scene, leading to the Home Inn at the end.
Architects: BE Design
Lead Architects: Guanzhong Wu, Tingwei Xu, Chenge Wang
Design Team: Ping Wang, Yangjie Li, Lingyan Wu, Yihan Zhang
Photographs: Songkai Liu