Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li

Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronze in Disseny d'Arquitectura, Edificació i Estructures Competition Category.

BronzeArquitectura· 2026

Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria

by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li

Client: R&J Design

A' Design Award de Bronze Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180902

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The Design

About Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria

Liao Liao One Cup és un pavelló cafeteria d'una sola planta construït al costat del Museu de Luoyang, a Luoyang, Xina. L'edifici aplica els principis de la casa passiva per reduir la necessitat de refrigeració mecànica. Una coberta ondulant, inspirada en l'antic riu Luo, fa circular l'aire a través de l'interior de planta oberta i constitueix l'element arquitectònic principal. L'acer corten envellit i l'acer inoxidable polit tipus mirall revesteixen l'estructura d'acer vista, eliminant la necessitat d'acabats addicionals. Un sostre de pedra en brut proporciona massa tèrmica, i els tancaments de vidre de terra a sostre aporten llum natural.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronze

Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Bronze, un reconeixement altament prestigiós concedit a dissenys sobresortints que es distingeixen per la creativitat, l'enginy i l'astúcia. Els guanyadors de Bronze són artefactes ampliament hàbils i sorprenentment creatius que autentiquen la vasta experiència, la imaginació i el recurs dels seus dissenyadors. Es preveu que Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria sigui un objecte molt apreciat, admirat i estimat, notablement professional i innovador. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Bronze incorpora les millors pràctiques de l'art, la ciència, el disseny i la tecnologia i és excel·lent per la seva atenció al detall. Liao Liao One Cup Cafeteria satisfà esplèndidament les necessitats, toca els desitjos, encisa els sentiments i crida la curiositat.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This cafe pioneers passive house application in commercial hospitality, using the undulating roofline as both environmental system and cultural landmark. Natural ventilation replaces mechanical cooling while Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel create a bold material vocabulary. Adjacent to a major museum, the design establishes a new architectural identity for sustainable public gathering spaces in heritage contexts, proving innovation and cultural resonance can coexist.
Dimensions & Packaging: Single-story cafe pavilion featuring passive ventilation roofline, weathered Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel cladding, exposed steel structural framework, raw stone thermal mass ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling low-E glazing. Climate-responsive roof geometry optimized for natural airflow and daylight penetration. Minimal mechanical cooling systems required.
Tags: Cafe, passive house, sustainability, cultural landmark, Corten steel, innovation, Luoyang Museum, Luo River, natural ventilation, heritage, green architecture, climate responsive
Production Technology: The undulating roofline integrates passive house engineering with sculptural fabrication. Corten steel panels and mirror-polished stainless steel were precision-formed to optimize natural airflow patterns derived from computational climate analysis. Exposed structural frameworks eliminate the need for secondary finishes, reducing material waste. Raw stone ceiling textures provide thermal mass for passive temperature regulation. The entire construction strategy prioritizes long-term environmental performance alongside minimal site intervention.
Design Challenge: The core challenge was threefold: achieving passive house performance through architectural form alone, creating a recognizable cultural landmark adjacent to a major heritage institution, and proving these goals are complementary rather than contradictory. The resolution embedded environmental function within the sculptural roofline, allowing a single design element to serve as climate system, cultural symbol, and brand identity simultaneously.
Research: This project advances passive house application beyond residential typology into public commercial architecture. The roofline functions simultaneously as cultural landmark and environmental system, demonstrating that climate-responsive innovation can generate architectural identity rather than constrain it. Situated in a heritage district, the design proposes a replicable model for sustainable cultural landmarks that honor context through contrast rather than imitation.
Inspiration: Situated beside the Luoyang Museum, this project was inspired by the challenge of creating a new cultural landmark that advances sustainable building practice. The sculptural roofline channels the ancient Luo River, embedding climate-responsive innovation within cultural symbolism. The vision was to prove that passive house principles can define the next generation of public architecture in heritage districts, where environmental innovation and cultural identity reinforce each other.
Project Duration: Completed adjacent to Luoyang Museum, Luoyang, Henan Province, China in 2025
Operation Flow: The passive ventilation system shapes the visitor experience from arrival. The roofline draws air naturally through the open-plan interior, creating thermal comfort without mechanical noise. Floor-to-ceiling glazing connects visitors to the museum landscape while maximizing daylight, reducing energy consumption. Material transitions from raw Corten to polished steel guide movement through zones of varying intimacy, each defined by sustainable material honesty rather than decorative excess.
Team Members: Designers: Zhijiang Shan, Fan Li
Image Credits: Photo: Wei Zhao
Video: Zimo Shan