cracked ice-patterned fence by minax encases one buddha's room's staircase

chinese studio minax’s design for a shanghai-based restaurant’s ‘one buddha’s room’ continuously transforms depending on the light coming into the room through the triangular window. the spiritual yet dark space features a chancel with a buddha sculpture and a welded fence for the stairs as a centerpiece. 

entrance steps of the buddha hall

the original wooden roof truss is extended to the end of the building, where minax’s newly-born roof space happens to be a secret place in shanghai. the steel staircase slants upwards, with the entrance to the central buddha’s room leading from the exhibition hall. light becomes the most important element in the space: the warm light belt is arranged below the steps of the top european pine board to form a strong display in the dark hall below.

as one walks up the stairs of light, they find a bright triangular window at the end. at the middle point of the staircase and window, there stands a lotus flower statue at ease. the fence, reminiscent of cracked ice, is welded from the rebars as it tightly wraps the stairs into a white hollowed-out barrier, which has cut the surrounding images into random fragments.

‘the buddha’s room does not care about luxurious, but cares about people’s physical and mental feelings in it,’ explains minax team. ‘we should keep the inner peace in the busy and vulgar world. our attitude toward the space of the buddha’s room is innovative.’

project info:

location: no. 1 tongxin road, hongkou district, shanghai, china

completion year: 2018

gross built area: 64 sqm

leading architect: zhigang lu

design team: congyi huang, li liu, zhirui liu, dingpeng liang, like niu

photography: zhigang lu

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edited by: maria erman | designboom