in china’s yunnan province, trace architecture office (TAO) has transformed an existing assortment of brick buildings into a multifunctional complex dedicated to coffee. located in baoshan, a region recognized for its production of arabica coffee, the site sits on a plateau in the middle of bawan village at the foot of gaoligong mountain, overlooking the landscape of lujiangba and the nuijiang valley to the north.

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao (also main image)

 

 

as well as areas for the storage, processing, tasting, and sale of coffee, the xinzhai coffee manor includes a hotel in addition to a museum and auditorium. the destination seeks to provide visitors with a premium holiday experience with the region’s scenic landscape as the backdrop. TAO chose to reference the site’s context, and existing materiality, using brick throughout the overhaul of the site.

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao

 

 

the architects constructed a new building, which is connected to the site’s existing cinema with a set of corridors. in turn, this forms three different courtyards: the central courtyard, the tree courtyard, and the sunken courtyard. the configuration resembles the layout of a monastery with the former cinema, the site’s largest building, transformed into a museum and auditorium that serves as the site’s spiritual center.

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao

 

 

the main building, positioned at a perpendicular angle to the former cinema, stores coffee within its lower level. here, a vaulted brick ceiling creates a cellar-like space. meanwhile, the coffee processing area, which requires large space for roasting and packaging, is located on the floor above. the uppermost storey has been constructed using concrete, and hosts a series of hotel rooms that overlook the valley. from bottom to top, there is a gradual transition from heaviness to lightness, responding directly the building’s programmatic requirements.

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by su shengliang

TAO xinzhai coffee manor
image by chen hao

 

 

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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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trace architecture office TAO xinzhai coffee manor yunnan china
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project info:

 

title: xinzhai coffee manor
client: baoshan xinzhai coffee co. ltd.

location: bawan village, baoshan lujiangba, yunnan, china

program: cinema, conference space, museum, shop, cafe, storage, workshop, hotel room

architect: hua li / TAO (trace architecture office)
design team: hua li, bai ting, lai erxun, hu mohuai, zhang wenzhao, yue yang, zhang hao, liu zhouxing, cao pengfei, duan qi, shao aiwen, li yuntao, liu peiyi
structural engineer: ma zhigang
MEP engineer: LV jianjun
construction: yunnan baoshanxia village architecture engineering co.ltd
interior construction; steel windows/doors detailing and installation: scenario design
steel windows/doors detailing: shu tan, liu suyang, liao peng
construction administration leader: shu tan, yang zhiqiang, yang jing
floor area: 3,140 sqm (addition 2,000 sqm, renovation 1,140 sqm)

structural system: concrete & masonry structure

materials: in-situ concrete, bricks

design: 2014.6 – 2015.8

construction: 2015.8 – 2018.2
photography: chen hao, su shengliang