- Project: 1402 Coffee Shop in Aranya
- Architect: B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio
- Location: China, Changli, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province
- Year: 2021
- Area: 344 m2
- Photography: Zhi Xia
A Café on the Road to the Coast
Located near the west gate of Aranya community in Qinhuangdao, 1402 Coffee Shop occupies an existing red brick building with a sloping roof. Once a modest structure, the building has been reimagined as a cultural landmark for locals and visitors. The renovation embraces contrast—old brick meets new cement, rustic shell meets minimalist insertion—establishing a bold architectural identity along the main road to the coast.
Interior Concept: The Cement Box
B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio introduced a rectangular cement box made of pigmented Dagu concrete inside the red brick shell. This new volume organizes the café’s functions—seating, pour-over bar, waiting zone, and display—while offering guests varied spatial experiences.
-
Visual identity: The cement box extends outward, reshaping the once-plain facade with a new focal point that sparks curiosity.
-
Transparency & interaction: A new glass facade with operable folding doors connects the café interior with both the square and outdoor seating, erasing boundaries between inside and out.
-
Flexible seating: Semi-private nooks and open spaces provide comfort for individuals, couples, and groups, balancing intimacy with sociability.
Unlike most cafés that combine espresso and pour-over stations, 1402 Coffee Shop isolates the pour-over bar at the heart of the cement box, creating a focused ritual-like experience where guests can converse directly with baristas.
Outdoor Design: Cross-Shaped Courtyard
The renovation extends beyond the building to a cross-shaped outdoor platform that divides the courtyard into four seating zones. This layout maintains visual continuity while offering variety in scale and atmosphere.
-
Material consistency: Outdoor furniture is crafted from the same pigmented cement as the interior box, reinforcing a cohesive identity.
-
Layered enclosure: Partition walls of varying heights, bar tables, and benches create pockets of intimacy and openness, encouraging guests to explore and linger.
-
Natural texture: Light-grey exposed aggregate concrete grounds the outdoor space in a soft, tactile atmosphere, evoking the qualities of a coastal courtyard.
Architecture as Café Culture
The 1402 Coffee Shop is more than a renovation—it is a social stage where architecture, coffee, and community converge. By juxtaposing heritage brickwork with minimalist cement design, B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio created a destination that is both deeply contextual and unmistakably modern.
The project represents a broader ambition of Aranya: to transform everyday places into cultural anchors, where design enhances not only function but also the rituals of gathering and sharing.
Drawings
