studio APL has transformed an old open-air grain bin structure into the ‘yamato cafe’, a coffee shop located in pingtunghsien, taiwan. the architects designed an independent exterior courtyard as the focal point of the project, in order to breathe life into the 80 year old building. 

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all images by yi-hsien lee photography and shawn liu studio

 

 

the entrance in the coffee shop by studio APL, is made by pulling the handle embedded with the number 1942, that reveals the age of the structure. upon entering, the visitor meets a spacious, well-lit coffee roasting room and dining room. after ordering, customers can pass by the semi outdoor courtyard, and visit the gallery on the second floor or just stay in the indoor dining space of the first floor. sitting inside, one can gaze at the golden-rain trees that filter the sunlight and provide shadow to the outside stone yard.  

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within this stone courtyard, customers can sit in a window one-seater and enjoy some reading, but there are also tables to accommodate diners who seek a place for meetings or celebrations. in addition, the courtyard can also be used as wedding venue. the original big-scale grain bin with long span structure generates a space without columns. as for the new structure, 100*100mm galvanized steel pipes were used to construct the structure system combined with vertical columns and an horizontal roof. furthermore, the site showcases an interesting conversation between the built system and the surrounding plants. in winter and spring, trees turn into brown, matching the color of corroded grain bin’s steel structure. in summer, trees bloom into green which in accordance with the green trees of the outside street. 

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project info:

 

name: stone courtyard
architecture office: studio APL
lead architects: pei-an li & pei-chen li
project team: yu-feng sung
location: pingtung, taiwan

 

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom