copper pipes & terrazzo-like tiling adorn dongqi architects’ brewery mission in shanghai

the boxing cat brewery flagship store in xintiandi brings craft beer culture into a renovated heritage building

located in xintiandi, shanghai, the boxing cat brewery (BCB) flagship store by dongqi architects celebrates craft beer culture within a renovated historical building. spread over two floors, the project pays respect to the city’s olden days through rough-textured accents, deeply warm tones, and the preservation of the original façade wall on one side of the building’s atrium. 

all images © raitt liu

celebrating shanghai’s past with maroon tones, pipe installations, and hand crafted tiling

the team at dongqi architects used the concept of a ‘beer garden’ to shape the boxing cat brewery’s interiors. curved bench seatings, made of natural wood and leather, are set either around the old wall or inside the atrium space. plants, meanwhile, grow at the center of each bench to freshen up the ambiance. a bar table and an electric fireplace filling up one of the existing arched doors complements the curved bench area. the remaining two doors lead to a seating space and bar counter on the other side of the flagship store. 

the star of the show, however, is a striking ‘pipe system’, with chrome tubes connected to flanges, that goes through the whole interior space, from the beer pipes to the ceiling, from the customized lamps to the menu boards on the wall. 

beer garden in the atrium with a curved seating design

at the atrium level, the architects left some of the original concrete walls untreated to echo the district’s local history. this approach was paired with a polished, brick-and-cement tiling pattern to achieve a terrazzo-like floor finish that gradually transitions, up the wall, into a rough and exposed aggregate finish. as the last touch, plants, and lights are set into BCB kegs, cut into halves, and hung up on the ceiling.

plants, lights, and cut beer kegs adorn the ceilings in a linear fashion

further inside the boxing cat brewery, a U-shaped beer bar sits in front of the main entrance, with copper pipes vertically arranged along the bar counter elevation. every fourth pipe stands out as a beer tap for added visual value. the architects used natural wood to cover the bar top and the floors to soften the overall atmosphere. moreover, the bar’s back wall is laid with the same bricks as the atrium floor and is elevated by lights leaking out from behind.

craft beer bar with copper pipes arranged along the counter elevation

the second floor serves as another seating area with a kitchen. there, dongqi architects outlined the entire level using laser-cut and curved handrails to add safety and privacy for guests without blocking the view to the lively atrium garden below. the ceiling’s original wood structure is maintained at certain points while maroon coating red is used on the rest.

detail of the craft beer going through copper pipes

reflecting on its project, dongqi architects says: ‘the elements including chrome pipes, rust-finish steel panels, maroon tones, the four rings painted alongside the wall, the storytelling picture frames, the profiles of ‘louie’, and the logos, portray the strong personality of BCB from different angles.’ 

an old arched door holding a bar table with terrazzo-like tiling

on the other side of the arched door is an eclectic fireplace

laser-cut balustrade on the second floor for safety

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exposing the rough-textured cement exposed after the old wall finishing is removed

customized brick with BCB’s brand identity

flooring made with customized brick holding BCB’s brand identity

project info:

name: boxing cat brewery xintiandi flagship

location: 181 allay taicang road, shanghai, china

total area: 257 sqm 

design completion: february 2019

project completion: august 2019 

architecture: dongqi design
lead architect: jiang Nan

lead designers: yiting ma, hui gao 

team: jinfan xie, yujie weng, shuang zhang, shihan jian, zhou yifan, song jie 
photography: raitt liu 

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edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom