HAIDAI CAFE

About The Entry

Located in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, China, the Qingzhou Museum is a well-known local destination. On the second floor, the museum features a 3,000-square-meter terrace with expansive views and beautiful scenery. This project, commissioned by investor Mr. Chen, proposes adding a steel-frame structure on the terrace. The new building will include a 300-square-meter café and a multifunctional space planned for future use as a boutique museum gift shop, pop-up venue, or small temporary exhibition hall. Our design scope covers the architectural design of the building and the interior design of the cafe.

The building adopts a steel frame and is elevated 1.5 meters above the original roof level. This adjustment allows interior views to extend beyond the existing parapet and capture the surrounding landscape—the park and scenic lake to the north, distant mountains to the west, and woodland to the east. Elevating the volume also minimizes its physical impact on the original building while creating space to accommodate HVAC and other equipment.

The museum is renowned for its bronze ware, gold artifacts, and Buddhist sculptures. Drawing from this identity, the facade is clad in bronze-like and gold metal panels, abstracting the museum’s collection into a contemporary architectural expression. The central golden volume subtly references the ornate headpieces of Buddhist statues, while shaping an engaging spatial intersection within the interior.

The cafe occupies the north side, where the views are most striking. Its interior palette continues the building’s overall color logic, replacing the golden tones with warm wood finishes, and interpreting the green through textured tiles and tactile coatings. Thoughtfully placed greenery enhances the calm and uplifting atmosphere for visitors.

The existing terrace contains four square landscaped plots. The new architectural layout wraps around these elements to form refined inner courtyards, respecting the original site while providing natural light and views for the new program.

Gross floor area: 1,200 m²

Cafe area: 300 m²