Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Night View. Image © Kun Zhang

XIJING BAY PASTORAL RESTAURANT

1406 STUDIO

CATEGORY
Restaurants & Bars

LOCATION
Suzhou Shi, China

AREA
607

PHOTOGRAPHS
Kun Zhang, Yue Shen, Bo Gao

YEAR
2016

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Shichang Zhang, Feng Gao

INTERIOR DESIGN
Yi Zhang

PLANNING CONSULTANT
Rui Peng, Ting Wen

CLIENT
C- SWED

CITY
Suzhou Shi

COUNTRY
China

THE CONTEXT

Located at Xijing Bay, Western Suzhou and near Taihu Lake, the restaurant boasts of a picturesque natural landscape.

As a supporting facility aimed at serving cultural activities and tourism at Xijing Bay scenic spot, the project is sited at the obsolete land of Shangshan Village.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Building in field. Image © Kun Zhang
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Vegetable and building. Image © Kun Zhang

The site, 30 kilometers west of the ancient city of Suzhou, takes the North Taihu Avenue as its entrance, and the Shangshan Village, across which crops are scattered, is reached after two consecutive road turns.

It blends the bustling city area and the tranquil rural land in a dramatic fashion.

The site field is sloping with an original village building in it, forming a contour that newly-constructed buildings cannot break through.

Located at the waist of the hill, the area where new buildings are built is over twenty meters away from the village road.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
South facade. Image © Kun Zhang
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Terrace view. Image © Kun Zhang

The elevation difference between the area and the road, and the top of the hill is three meters and five meters respectively, while that between the east side and the west side of the area is one meter. The field is a complex slope with considerable depth.

The tilted cedar growing upwards in the site have survived over hundred years and its struggle for living space against the original building even make the site an intriguing place for narrative. The Shangshan Village, the slope and the unique cedar alongside Taihu Lake all contribute to the building of a scenic pastoral restaurant.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Western red cedar and glass detail. Image © Kun Zhang
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
North facade. Image © Bo Gao

THE PASTORAL ARCHITECTURE

Divided by the designer into different heights, the slope between the village road and the building is transformed into several vegetable plots, separated by winding stone trails, which in turn connect the spatial elements.

The building is open and transparent, because it is formed by composite cottage made up of vertical wooden grille and glass, which allows it to be both sunlight-free and energy-saving.

The different angle each group of the wood gratings has controls the vision inside the cottage. To get a better view of the Taihu Lake, guests can come to the outdoor space on the rooftop terrace.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Cedar and building. Image © Kun Zhang
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
North side backyard. Image © Yue Shen
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Second floor balcony space. Image © Kun Zhang

In outdoor space, guests can directly experience the pastoral atmosphere. It extends the boundaries of the building and accommodates more guests without being limited by the building.

The outdoor venues with different styles created by the designer allow guests to fully enjoy the pastoral pleasure.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Courtyard aerial view. Image © Yue Shen
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Building Envrionment. Image © Yue Shen

Guests dine with the smell of the earth in the wood grating area.

The overhead indoor area in the first layer guarantees a perfect view of the beautiful surrounding landscape.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Masterplan. Image © Yue Shen
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
North side aerial view. Image © Yue Shen

The small courtyard under the retaining wall on the north side provides an outdoor private communication space.

From the corridor on the second floor beneath the cedar branches, guests have an overlooked view of the entire vegetable pods.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
South side aerial view, Cedar and building. Image © Yue Shen
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Building Envrionment. Image © Yue Shen

The Taihu Lake and the Shangshan Village can be viewed from the open terraces and rooftop terraces.

The design blends and extends the boundaries of the building with the various elements of the site, easily meeting the requirements of various guests.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Box. Image © Bo Gao
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Overhead dining area. Image © Bo Gao

THE BLURRED LINES

The architect’s tactics to overcome the limits of small-scale architecture hinges on the supreme management of the interior space and the breaking-through of the boundaries of layers, because it allows guests to move up and down freely, and magnifies the mobility of the space.

Taking the advantage of the elevation difference between the east and the west, the design places the stairs in it like a seesaw, breaking the conventional logic of the semi-platform and naturally eliminating the existence of the layers by making the most of the elevation difference between the ends of the stairs.

The design replaces the floors with the dining area, therefore extending the building space upwards.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Box dining area. Image © Bo Gao
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Night View in filed. Image © Kun Zhang

THE CEDAR

The narrative of the cedar and architecture reflects the designer’s thinking on the building. The building and the cedar have had two intimate interactions:

first, the close contact between the bottom of the tree canopy and the second layer where the outer corridor lies with a slope the same as that of the cedar; second, the direct dialogue between the canopy and the third layer where the chalet linked to the stairs is rotated.

The close relationship between the building and the cedar makes them dear friends for many years. Their relationship is intimate yet not offensive, like reaching between them a solid balance of their uneven force.

Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Small stone path and wooden fence dining area. Image © Kun Zhang


Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
1F Plan
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
2F Plan
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
3F Plan
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Masterplan


Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Axon
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Section
Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
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Xijing Bay Pastoral Restaurant
Site Original Condition