B.L.U.E. architecture studio's Zolaism Café

This blog is going to research about an interesting topic for me, the B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio that was established in 2014 in Beijing by Japanese architects Shuhei Aoyama and Yoko Fujii., as well as additional interesting information on this topic.

The Zolaism Café is located in Qinhuangdao, China and is made in a primitive style focusing on organic forms and naturalistic invironment which is a very close topic to my own project, since I am also taking the topic of primitivism, but in a more mediterranean style with Kazakh history details.

Picture by Eiichi Kano

As the creators say on Arch Daily (2022), "The design starts from nature. In the vast world, humans are small and lonely entities. The tranquility and vastness of nature help people to escape from the rhythm of urban life and to return to their true nature. Here, we hope the architecture can be a spiritual place for people to settle down."

Picture by Eiichi Kano

As the consept suggests, this project was made based on the idea of open spaces and the feeling of nature around, as we are humans and need nature around us to feel free: "The tranquility and vastness of nature help people to escape from the rhythm of urban life and to return to their true nature." (Aoyama and Fujii, from Arch Daily, 2022).

However, it is still subjective of how people perceive this concept, for instance, many people might find this cafe to be claustrophobia inducing and uncomfortable to be in, especially if crowded, and that is what makes this project somewhat of an art piece more than a commercially successful business. Although this cafe is very eye-catching and creative, it is quite a risk to create and operate.

That is a good thing to consider while coming up with a concept for my restaurant project, it is important to consider commercial opportunities within an area, target audience, ideas that it supports and risks that might come.






References:

World-Architects. “B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio.” Profiles of Selected Architects, www.chinese-architects.com/en/b-l-u-e-architecture-studio-beijing/about. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.

“Zolaism Café / B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio.” ArchDaily, 17 Dec. 2022, www.archdaily.com/973435/zolaism-cafe-blue-architecture-studio?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab ISSN 0719-8884. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.