Wooden Pavilion By The River - FEI PATISSERIE / NEME Studio Architects

Architects: NEME Studio Architects
Area: 80 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Chengqiang Huang, An Shao, Bo Wang, Mincong Deng, Zhenzhong He, NEME Studio Architects
Design Team Leader: Chengqiang Huang，Mincong Deng
Design Team: Jianfeng Luo, Xiaofeng Lin，Zhipeng Feng（internship）
Construction: Tan
Site Design: Jianfeng Luo
Clients: FEI PATISSERIE
City: Foshan
Country: China

FEI PATISSERIE, designed by NEME Studio Architects, is located in a granary built by Shunde County in the 1980s. The project site, next to the 70m wide Shunde Lunjiao Dachong river, a venue for dragon boat races, involves renovating a long glass box structure to create a comfortable service space that combines the site’s characteristics with a contemporary aesthetic.

Wooden pavilion by the river - fei patisserie / neme studio architects

The project is situated in a granary built by Shunde County in the 1980s. Adjacent to the 70m wide Shunde Lunjiao Dachong river, a venue for dragon boat races, dragon boat crews can often be seen shuttling through the water. The design site features a long glass box (20x6m in length and width) added during the renovation. Although positioned at the entrance of the building, the exterior facade is obscured by plants, resulting in a dim interior. The internal staircase leading to the first floor (occupied by other tenants) takes up 2/3 of the space, leaving the interior only 3m wide at its narrowest point. Furthermore, with a floor height of 4.2m, the space beneath the staircase creates a sense of oppression and is challenging to use. The aim was to create a comfortable and complete service space while integrating the site’s characteristics to provide a sense of presence for FEI, clients, and passers-by.

Walking from the residential area to the riverside, one passes through a field of weeds with no shade along the way. In Shunde’s long summer, the sun is fierce, and rainstorms often result in humidity and sultriness. The intention was to ensure that people arriving at FEI would find shade and a cool breeze, creating a place of relaxation and comfort. To achieve this, a wooden pavilion was placed between the original glass box and the outdoor area.

The pavilion transforms the high and narrow space into a more pleasant scale while providing shade and comfort for visitors. The new pavilion roof lowers the line of sight to 2.6m, and the additional wooden columns extend the sense of indoor space while offering a moderate sense of enclosure for those resting outdoors. The overall dark color filters out much of the visual noise, allowing people to connect more closely with nature and the surrounding landscape.

In close proximity to the human scale, a large area of wood and plywood is used, with the floor paved and skirted with rough granite. These materials will slowly change over time and with frequent use, revealing their true texture. This better highlights the exquisite patisserie, warm ceramic lamps, and curtains, bringing a touch of relaxation to the square space. This approach reduces the industrial and commercial precision of the galvanized steel and glass-aluminum curtain wall, allowing the patisserie to blend seamlessly with nature.

Considering the characteristics of the site, tables were designed for various positions both indoors and outdoors, some crafted from leftover wood. These include window tables for enjoying views of the outdoor plants and the river, tatami mats, square tables for group seating, and wooden railings for holding snacks outdoors.

Every morning, sunlight enters the house through the newly opened wooden windows, caressing the stone floor, tatami mats, and wooden walls. In the afternoon, the outdoor plants are illuminated, casting a greenish hue in the dim interior. At sunset, the long wooden pavilions are bathed in the shimmering light of the river.