neri&hu transforms brick warehouse into pastry shop in beijing

Neri&Hu completes Lao Ding Feng head office and concept store

Chinese architecture firm Neri&Hu has completed a concrete extension to an old brick building that serves as the headquarters of Beijing’s historic Lao Ding Feng pastry brand. Located in a previously thriving industrial area, the project renovates the former textile factory consisting of a main warehouse and three outbuildings, as well as a courtyard garden, into a new space with retail, gallery, and office spaces. In their design, the architects have created a clear contrast between the past and the present, while at the same time creating abstract spatial references to the brand’s signature product – traditional Chinese baked goods.

Neri&Hu has completed a concrete extension to the old brick warehouse, formerly used as a textile factory

all images courtesy of Zhu Runzi

drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese pastries

The team at Neri&Hu was commissioned to design the conversion of the old warehouse into Lao Ding Feng’s main office and retail concept store. For projects like this, the firm’s strategy is to first thoroughly investigate which parts of the existing building can be preserved and restored, while new additions should not only respect but also contrast the existing elements.

The design is inspired by the client’s main product, traditional Chinese pastries that are often molded into various decorative shapes. The project puts particular emphasis on the idea that a container forms the shape of its contents. Similarly, the architecture introduces a new object made of poured concrete, cast into the old brick shell, with various openings and negative spaces forming the main retail, gallery and office spaces.

the front facade of the Lao Ding Feng main office and concept store

a sense of connection between the past, present and future

After pouring the concrete and allowing it to cure, specialized craftsmen then bush-hammer it for a soft textural quality that both contrasts with and also compliments the old bricks. At certain moments, the new internal concrete seeps out and appears on the façade to fill the voids or mark new access points.

The spaces between the new object and the original shell become flexible areas for a café and a multipurpose hall. The first floor houses the exhibition area, flagship store, garden, and café, while the second floor is mainly used as headquarters. Walking through the new concrete object and experiencing the spaces between the new insertion and the old building convey a sense of connection between the past, present, and future, giving this historic Beijing pastry brand a new home.

the former textile factory consisting of a main warehouse and three outbuildings, as well as a courtyard garden