Kaffihus Hringur Café by Yuting Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award in Bronze in Architektur-, Gebäude- und Bauwerksdesign Competition Category.

BronzeArchitektur· 2023

Kaffihus Hringur Café

by Yuting Zhang

Client: Studio Re+N

A' Design Award in Bronze Winner in Architektur Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #150960

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Kaffihus Hringur Café

Kaffihus Hringur ist ein Café in der Nähe des Kraters Hverfjall in Island. Der kreisrunde Bau ist von der Form des Tuffkegelvulkans inspiriert und versorgt Wandernde vor und nach dem Aufstieg. Im Zentrum liegt ein offener Innenhof mit einem isländischen Garten. Vier Quadranten nehmen die Kaffeebar, die Sanitärräume, einen Ausstellungsbereich sowie eine überdachte Aussichtsterrasse mit Blick auf den Mývatn-See auf. Das modulare Holzrahmenwerk ist mit dunkelgrau geflämmter Zeder verkleidet. Geothermische Wärmepumpen, Dreifachverglasung und Regenwassernutzung ermöglichen einen netzunabhängigen Betrieb mit minimalem Personaleinsatz.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Bronze

Kaffihus Hringur Café ist Gewinner des A' Design Award in Bronze, einer hochprestigeträchtigen Anerkennung für herausragende Designs, die sich durch Kreativität, Einfallsreichtum und Scharfsinn auszeichnen. Bronze-Gewinner sind reichlich geschickte und auffallend kreative Artefakte, die die große Erfahrung, Fantasie und Findigkeit ihrer Designer belegen. Von Kaffihus Hringur Café wird erwartet, dass es ein hochgeschätztes, bewundertes und geliebtes Objekt ist, das bemerkenswert professionell und innovativ ist. Dieses mit dem A' Design Award in Bronze prämierte Design verkörpert bewährte Verfahren in Kunst, Wissenschaft, Design und Technologie und ist hervorragend in seiner Liebe zum Detail. Kaffihus Hringur Café befriedigt Bedürfnisse auf großartige Weise, berührt Wünsche, bezaubert Gefühle und spricht die Neugier an.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The coffee shop is inspired by the Hverfjall Crater in Iceland. The circular building features an open courtyard and four quadrants for coffee, restrooms, exhibition space, and a covered observation terrace. The structure employs a modular wood frame and sustainable features such as geothermal heat pumps, triple-pane glass, and rainwater capture. It is designed to be minimally staffed and operate off-grid, offering a holistic storytelling experience that complements the Hverfjall hike.
Dimensions & Packaging: The coffee shop has a simple and efficient modular wood frame structure. Large-format storefronts provide courtyard views, and the building's exterior features a charred, dark gray cedar facade. The interior has warm, exposed cedar juxtaposed with rough stone furnishings and copper-toned metal highlights.
Tags: Architecture Design, Landscape Design, Coffee Shop, Iceland, Hverfjall Crater
Production Technology: The coffee shop at Hverfjall Crater is constructed with a modular wood frame structure and features an inward-facing pitched roof. The exterior facade is clad in charred, dark gray cedar that relates to the black basalt grounds of the site. The interior features warm, exposed cedar juxtaposed with rough stone furnishings and copper-toned metal highlights. Sustainable features include the use of underground geothermal heat pumps for electric and heating needs, low-E triple-pane glass, rainwater capture for storage and use, dry composting toilets, and the use of used coffee grounds for fertilizer. The coffee shop is designed to be minimally staffed and operate off-grid with little maintenance, complementing the Hverfjall hike with a comprehensive sensory experience.
Design Challenge: The sustainable and modular coffee shop is inspired by the Hverfjall Crater in Iceland. It offers a respite for hikers before and after their pilgrimage up to the crater's edge, with a circular form and inward-facing pitch roof paying homage to the volcano's structure. Divided into four quadrants, it provides a unique function along the visitor journey: coffee shop, restrooms, exhibition space, and a covered observation terrace. Sustainability features include underground geothermal heat pumps, triple-pane glass, and rainwater capture. The coffee shop is minimally staffed and operates off-grid, offering a holistic storytelling experience that complements the Hverfjall hike.
Research: The Hverfjall Crater inspired a sustainable coffee shop with an open courtyard and four quadrants for coffee, restrooms, exhibition space, and a covered observation terrace. The circular building employs a modular wood frame and sustainable features such as geothermal heat pumps, triple-pane glass, and rainwater capture. With minimal staffing and off-grid operation, it offers a holistic storytelling experience that complements the Hverfjall hike. Offering volcanic soil coffee beans, it creates a comprehensive sensory experience. By reducing environmental impact with sustainable technologies and locally sourced materials, it provides a unique and memorable experience for visitors.
Inspiration: The Hverfjall Crater trek is a microcosm of the Icelandic experience, offering a breathtaking, panoramic landscape. Our coffee shop was inspired by the form and experience of the tuff cone volcano, functioning as a rest stop for weary hikers before and after their pilgrimage up to the crater's edge. The circular form reflects the circumambulation of the crater, while the inward-facing pitch roof pays homage to the volcano's form.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2022 in Iceland.
Operation Flow: The coffee shop is centered around an open courtyard that features an Icelandic garden with views of a volcano in the distance. Divided into four quadrants, the building provides a coffee shop, restrooms, exhibition space, and a covered observation terrace. Visitors can enter the structure at an open corner and move left to use restrooms and seating or right to enter the coffee house. The coffee shop has an elegant coffee bar and a wood-toned interior for hikers to relax with hot coffee and light snacks while enjoying the garden views. Visitors can then move to the exhibit space, which tells the story of the site's geology, and exit onto the covered terrace for expansive views of Lake Myvatn and its surroundings.
Image Credits: Yuting Zhang & Edbert Cheng