blue bottle café by neri&hu is a 'primitive shed' in historic shanghai

occupying shanghai’s historic zhangyuan neighborhood

California-founded Blue Bottle Coffee celebrates the opening of its third café in Shanghai, with architecture by Neri&Hu. Designing the space, the Chinese architects look to the heritage of the nineteenth century-era neighborhood of Zhangyuan, whose historic streets have been renovated to become a vibrant public and retail district. The project itself occupies one of the many Shikumen-style houses which define the urban fabric of the place. Describing the café’s relationship with its unique site, the architects notes: ‘Coffee initiates a dialogue between Shanghai’s rich history and the contemporary urban social realm.’

images © Zhu Runzi | @zhu_runzi

neri&hu preserves the heritage exteriors

As part of the design of its Blue Bottle coffee shop, the architects at Neri&Hu transform a typical Shikumen house, a traditional style which became popular in Shanghai during the late nineteenth century. This building type is recognized by its brick walls, wooded framing, and combination of Western and Chinese architectural features. In accordance with the district’s historic preservation guidelines, the exterior shell of the building was largely preserved with the existing brick walls, doors, and windows left untouched.

To contrast this historic shell, Neri&Hu expresses the new interiors with exposed concrete. At the center of the room, the team inserts a simple, free-standing structure which evokes ‘a primitive shelter, symbolizing a return to the origin of architecture.’ Here, where the coffee is prepared and served, a visual and circulatory focal point is created among the lofty space.

a blue bottle coffe shop to merge the old and new

Contrasting the heavy palette of the existing architecture, Neri&Hu carefully studied the structure of the shed and its tectonic joinery, seeking an intervention which is ‘as light as possible.’ The shed’s structure is assembled with brushed stainless steel while its lightweight surface is built of perforated, corrugated steel sheeting — materials which the team claims to ‘reflect the surroundings in a subtle and fuzzy manner.’

Neri&Hu took inspiration from ‘the informal construction and simple attachments that people once used to extend their private spaces into the alley,’ which may include metal rods and small platforms added to function as light posts, side tables, and benches. The interiors integrate a selection of traditional furniture which have been repurposed to evoke ‘the traces of time,’ and to ‘bestow a sense of warmth and familiarity, merging old and new.’

the ‘primitive shed’ is a visual and circulatory focal point for the coffee shop

the roof of the shed is built of perforated, corrugated steel sheeting Neri&Hu ensures a lightweight structure to contrast the heaviness of the historic building