Cold lab was invited by the Hunan rice noodle brand “Kuaihuo” to design a series of stores in Shanghai. During demolition, the site conditions of the street-front stores are diverse and often exceptional, there are always unexpected surprises. However, confronting these ‘surprises’ is precisely the opportunity to endue each space with a unique character.

The project was located on Fengxian Road, Shanghai. After demolition, the original I-beam steel column of the shop were revealed near the center of the facade. Moreover, a large electric box outside the store significantly obscured the storefront. These challenging elements became the turning point for our design, the spatial intervention of storefront and layout are carried out around these inputs, resulting in an unexpectedly playful outcome.

Cold lab did not deliberately avoid the distracting I-beam steel structure, or attempt to make the facade look decent by compositional design methods. Instead, textured ceppo stones are applied to cover the steel structure, creating a visual focal point in the center of the storefront. Steady stone columns support a metal canopy, symmetrically dividing the storefront into two separate entrances.

The covered stone columns align with the electric box column, creating a spatial dialogue with the street.

Continuing the logic of symmetrical alignment from the storefront, a suspended ceppo stone table in the middle became the centerpiece of the interior space. Guests entering from the two entrances sit around the long table, fostering a sense of shared dining. The open layout allows sights to extend along the tabletop to the kitchen, the process of making food can be seen at a glance. Spotlights illuminate the stone tabletop, presenting a distinctive and natural dining atmosphere.

Two pieces of stone – the stone columns and the stone table – are the core elements of this store. As the most essential functional and visual elements of the store, Cold Lab chose warm-colored ceppo stones. The naturally occurring mineral grains form appealing patterns, and through the treatment of acid washing and steel brushing techniques, the strong texture of the stone is highlighted. The combination of simple geometric elements and the visual impact of materials conveys the vibrant vitality of the ethnic minorities in Xiangxi, Hunan.