Revival A Cafetería by Pei-Yu Yen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award de Bronce in Deseño de Espazos Interiores e de Exposición Competition Category.

BronceInteriorismo· 2020

Revival A Cafetería

by Pei-Yu Yen

Client: Tetto Creative Design Co.,Ltd.

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Interiorismo Category

32,347

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #103919

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

Colors

The Design

About Revival A Cafetería

O café Revival está situado no Museo de Arte de Tainan, Taiwán. O espazo que ocupou foi a Comisaría Principal de Tainan durante o período colonial xaponés, que agora é designado patrimonio da cidade pola súa significación histórica e mestura única de diversos estilos e elementos arquitectónicos como o eclecticismo e o art deco. O café herda o espírito experimental do patrimonio, presentando un caso moderno de como o vello e o novo poden interactuar armoniosamente entre si. Os visitantes tamén puideron gozar do seu café e comezar o seu propio diálogo co pasado do edificio.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Revival A Cafetería gañou o A' Design Award de Bronce, un recoñecemento altamente prestixioso outorgado a deseños sobresaíntes que se distinguen pola creatividade, o enxeño e a sagacidade. Os gañadores Bronce son artefactos amplamente hábiles e sorprendentemente creativos que autentican a vasta experiencia, imaxinación e enxeño dos seus deseñadores. Espérase que Revival A Cafetería sexa un obxecto moi apreciado, admirado e querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora as mellores prácticas da arte, a ciencia, o deseño e a tecnoloxía, e é excelente pola súa atención ao detalle. Revival A Cafetería satisfai espléndidamente as necesidades, toca os desexos, encanta os sentimentos e atrae a curiosidade.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This project is an embodiment of the emerging enthusiasm for heritage reuse. The main building was established in 1931, serving as the Tainan Police Station during the Japanese colonial period. It is now designated as a heritage by Tainan city, and becomes part of Tainan Art Museum.
The cafe is located at the intersection between the old building and the new extension. The cafe therefore exhibits how the past and future can inspire each other.
Dimensions & Packaging: Curved chairs 1 (6 persons each side): height (cushion included) 50 cm, length 8 m, radius 4 m
Curved chairs 2 (5 persons each side): height (cushion included) 50 cm, length 6.5 m, radius 3.8 m
Curved chairs 3 (3 persons each side): height (cushion included) 50 cm, length 4.5 m, radius 2.5 m
Curved chairs 4 (2 persons each side): height (cushion included) 50 cm, length 3 m, radius 1.5 m
Tags: Cafe, heritage, eclecticism, museum
Production Technology: Due to the regulations of heritage protection, there were a number of challenges during the completion of the project. For example, all of the tables and chairs must be pre-made in the factory before they were installed in the cafe. Another challenge came from the wavy design of the chairs for the cafe and the uneven ground of the building itself – the installation required cautious measurement and adjustment to make sure all of the pieces were in order.
Design Challenge: The most challenging part of the project is related to its heritage status. Due to the regulations in Taiwan, all of the main structure of a heritage should not be altered this includes the ceiling, floor, and the wall. Besides, the irregular shape of the space also creates extra challenge to the project.

To overcome these challenges, extensive research on the history of the building and the architectural style during the colonial period was conducting. Eventually, the space becomes a highly flexible commercial space which brings the best out of the buildings singular design.
Research: The research of the interior design of the cafe mainly focuses on the Japanese architecture style after Meiji revolution, especially the style employed by Japanese architects working in Taiwan during the colonial period.
Inspiration: The design is inspired by the talented Japanese architects bold design and experimental spirit. The Tainan Police Station was an interesting attempt of eclecticism, which brought in influence of Art Deco style and local materials in a unique way that was not let any particular architectural style dominate the dialogue.
Echoing the idea of eclecticism and the colonial past, the interior design is featured by curves to connect the whole space and old-fashioned velvet green embellished with bronze gold, presenting a harmonic fusion of the new and the old.
Project Duration: December 2018, Initial design and planning
March 2019, renovation of the space began
June 2019, formal operation of the cafe

Location: Tainan, Taiwan
Operation Flow: The space utilised by the cafe used to be a detention centre. Coldness was the very first impression this space gives to its visitor.

To bring in the warmth to transform the chilly past of the space, the design emphasises on enhancing the interaction with the greenery outside of the cafe.
Team Members: Yen Pei-Yu
Image Credits: Main image is Image #1: Photographer Rondo Wei, 2019.
Image #2: Photographer Rondo Wei, 2019.
Image #3: Photographer Rondo Wei, 2019.
Image #4: Photographer Rondo Wei, 2019.
Image #5: Photographer Peggy Yen, 2020.