In the heart of rural China, a remarkable transformation has taken place, breathing new life into an old auditorium. The story of the Cycle&Cycle Stone-oven Bakery Restaurant is a fascinating journey of architectural adaptation and a celebration of local heritage.
A Rural Revival
The project, located in Shangwang Village, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China, began with a unique vision. Cycle&Cycle, the owners, wanted to bring back the art of bread-making to its rural roots. They saw an opportunity in a 1970s auditorium, a building with a historical connection to Nixon's visit to China.
What makes this project particularly intriguing is the way it honors the past while embracing a new purpose. The designers at Tens Atelier took on the challenge of transforming this space, and their approach was one of thoughtful restraint.
Material Minimalism
In keeping with the rural context, the design avoids an urban aesthetic. Instead, it embraces a minimalist material palette, reflecting the local environment and available craftsmanship. The interior is a single, open volume, a blank canvas for the central feature—a stone-fired oven.
The oven, initially envisioned as a large-scale 2.7-meter diameter structure, was later reconfigured. It was integrated into the architecture, extending vertically to become a dominant internal feature, reaching six meters in height. This decision was not just aesthetic; it was a practical response to budget constraints.
Budget considerations also influenced the decision to retain the existing white paint finish, rather than exposing the red brick underneath. Similarly, modifications to the roof and skylight system were reduced, preserving the original ceiling structure. These choices demonstrate a respect for the existing architecture and a desire to minimize intervention.
Modular Adaptation
The design strategy focused on simplicity and constructability, ensuring the design intent could be executed by the local team using traditional techniques. This approach extended to the material choices and reuse strategies.
Initially, the designers explored the use of recycled timber, discarded village materials, and locally available bamboo. However, due to cost and execution constraints, they adapted their approach, opting for standardized materials combined with on-site processing.
In the eastern dining area, prefabricated wooden pallet systems were considered but replaced with marine plywood, cut and assembled on-site to maintain a similar modular logic. This adaptability is a key feature of the project, allowing the design to evolve and respond to practical considerations.
A Functional Extension
The resulting space is a harmonious blend of architecture, landscape, and use. The bakery becomes a functional extension of the original auditorium's public role within the rural context. The interior, with its full-height glass curtain walls, opens up to the surrounding village, fields, and mountainous landscape.
The stone oven and the landscape beyond the glass facade serve as primary focal elements, creating a visual dialogue between interior and exterior. This spatial configuration maintains openness while distinguishing between interior program and exterior view corridors.
A Thoughtful Transformation
The Cycle&Cycle Stone-oven Bakery Restaurant is a testament to the power of architectural adaptation. It demonstrates how a thoughtful and restrained design approach can transform an existing space, giving it new life and purpose.
This project raises a deeper question: how can we adapt and reuse existing structures to create meaningful spaces that honor our past while embracing the future? It's a question worth exploring further, especially in a world where sustainability and preservation are increasingly important.
