triangular volumes characterize this café pavilion in hangzhou, china

dazhou and associates builds corner pavilion

located on a pedestrian street by the west lake in hangzhou, china, the corner pavilion was designed as a semi-open café by dazhou and associates for the brand M stand. a massive metal triangular roof rests on vertical elements informed by the ginkgo trees that sweep the area. standing on a busy street, its sculptural form discreetly attracts passersby to come in and enjoy a cup of coffee.

corner pavilion and the west lake

all images ©wen studio unless stated otherwise

a hot spot for social interaction

the design team at dazhou and associates prioritized the simplicity and transparency of the structure, opening it up in all directions so that people could look through it. to enhance the openness of the pavilion, they strategically avoided a column, offering unobstructed views of the west lake, while simultaneously the delicate roof seems to float lightly. when it came to spatial organization, the studio sought to minimize the bar space and create a semi-outdoor platform to blend into the street and become a hot spot for social interaction. a large roof is completed with more than 4m cantilevers, creating a shelter-like volume for the guests.

corner pavilion in the street

assembling it in just seven nights

how many days does it take to transport 10 tons of steel from shanghai to hangzhou? as the architects said, the answer is seven nights. ‘after the design was completed, at the request of the scenic spot and the shopping mall, we could get only seven nights to build it. due to the precise design development of the steel structure, we disassembled the main structure into several truss parts and performed a trial assembly in a factory in shanghai, then disassembled and delivered the parts to hangzhou for an on-site assembly,’ said the architects.

‘when autumn comes, the ginkgo leaves fall on the roof, people take a rest here in the descending twilight, looking west, it is the sunset of west lake.’

like a sculpture

floating roof