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Xiamen Shophouse Commune

Sanj Design Studio

SAVE SUBMISSION
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BAR COUNTER SEATING - LIGHT STRING STUDIO
WINDOW SITTING AREA - LIGHT STRING STUDIO
CAFE AREA - LIGHT STRING STUDIO
BAR COUNTER SEATING - LIGHT STRING STUDIO

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Sponsor
Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Small Office
8.00
8.22
8.33
8.67
8.31
Sabine de Schutter
Sabine de Schutter Founder and CEO at Studio De Schutter
8
8.5
9
9.5
8.75
Kaan Alpagut
Kaan Alpagut Design Manager, Workplace Experience at The Lego Group
The cafe/shop spaces feel much more...
7
7.5
7.5
8
7.5
Alexander Fehre
Alexander Fehre Founder at Studio Alexander Fehre
7
8
7
8.5
7.63
Donald Strum
Donald Strum President at Michael Graves Design
Great pops of warm upward light was...
8.5
8.5
9
8.5
8.63
Hilda Impey
Hilda Impey Creative Partner and Founder at Hilda Impey Studio
The patina of time brings inherent...
8
8
8.5
8.5
8.25
Wenke Lin
Wenke Lin Founder and Design Director at BDSD Boundless Design
It's an office environment that res...
8.5
8.5
8
8.5
8.38
Monika Choudhary
Monika Choudhary Cofounder and Creative Director at Habitat Architects
This submission reflects a willingn...
8.5
8.5
9
8.5
8.63
Yuko Tsukumo
Yuko Tsukumo General Manager at Nikken Sekkei
The building successfully combines...
8
8
8.5
8.5
8.25
Maud Capet
Maud Capet Associate Principal - Interior Design at OBMI
Well use of light to emphasize on b...
8.5
8.5
8.5
9.5
8.75
Client
Sanj Commune
Floor area
360 ㎡
Completion
2024
Budget
USD$120000
Social Media
Instagram

SANJ DESIGN restored & renovated a conservation shophouse into a ‘workplace+cafe’ space. Facade and structure is preserved, and the interior is revitalize with new functions to promote environmental and sustainable performance for existing heritage building without adversely impacting its cultural heritage significance.

It aims to serve as gathering point for local communities in the historic building and share their life experiences of the old town. Strengthening the designer team's understanding of the local culture and history background for future urban design studies.

The interior structural space was retained and given new functional usage: first floor serves as a community coffee space, second floor serves as an local collection gallery and group activity space, and third floor serves as design office space. The retained structure is harmoniously combined with the space and exposed, to show its unique sense of historical precipitation, making it the main feature wall in the space that connects the entire building, allowing people to follow the footsteps of history and explore it.
The space not only retains the historical charm of the arcade building, but also gives it new vitality through restoration and transformation through design techniques. Using local building materials such as rust stone, granite, and southern Fujian red bricks that are familiar to locals, combines new and old. The full-height red brick wall feature further inherit the memory of history.

With the rapid changes of the city, many historical cultures are gradually disappearing. SANJ DESIGN hopes to connect the humanistic interaction of the local community and connect the local cultural history as a mission to explore a deeper history of old Xiamen City as a trace and continuation of the city's memory, and actively participate in the old city upgrade and development, and participate in the practical actions of urban symbiosis.