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Under an old residential building in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, Lukstudio Sesame Room has transformed the vacant corner of the city into Atelier Peter Fong: a studio and cafe. A series of white blocks purify the originally messy site, creating a quiet space that attracts people to stop.
On the outside of the building, floating lightweight aluminum panels put the white body under it, like a line drawing the boundary between the old and the new. Three side-by-side white boxes run out from the inside to form a unified facade. The 'middle zone' left between the boxes is like the continuation of urban streets and lanes, attracting passers-by. Each white box contains different functions: a coffee shop, a 'brainstorming' area, a conference room and a leisure area. The 'between' boxes are treated in warm gray tones with the original structure at the top, in contrast to the pure white box.
According to the careful consideration of the functional requirements and the surrounding environment, Lukstudio Sesame Room "carves" different openings and bumps inside and outside the body. The large opening connects the inside and outside of the coffee shop and frames the green view out of the window.
Indoors, partially hollowed-out ceilings and wood niches create a close and comfortable atmosphere. The same technique is also applied to the entrance of the office space, where the bottom of the triangular foyer is left empty to form a quiet Zen landscape, which is not only the landscape focus of the internal office, but also visually connects the indoor and outdoor space.
The use of materials further defines space. Smooth white walls and terrazzo floors occupy the main public space, like canvas capturing light and shadow; translucent walls create a subtle connection between public cafes and workplaces; and more private areas use natural raw materials. for example, continuous wood surfaces in the 'brainstorm' area and masonry walls in the lounge area.
Through the combination of coffee culture and co-office, Atelier Peter Fong integrates a modern concept of social model into the ordinary neighborhood. A forgotten urban corner has become a social hot spot through design, which explains how architectural intervention can inject new vitality into the city and activate the re-development of the community.
Project team: Lu Yingzhi, Alba Beroiz Blazquez, au Zhiwei, Cai Jinhong, Huang Shanyun
Graphic design: Evelyn Chiu
Furniture: Emeco, Hay, Muuto, Paustian, Peixin
Lamps: Bentu, Flos, Tons
Indoor area: 250 square meters
Venue: 42 Huakang Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Photography: Dirk Weiblen
