Liao Liao One Cup Kafe by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li

Liao Liao One Cup Kafe by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla in Gine-gine Competition Category.

TagullaGine-gine· 2026

Liao Liao One Cup Kafe

by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li

Client: R&J Design

Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla Winner in Gine-gine Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180902

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Colors

The Design

About Liao Liao One Cup Kafe

Liao Liao One Cup wani rumfa ne na kafe mai bene guda daya da aka gina kusa da Gidan Tarihi na Luoyang a birnin Luoyang na kasar Sin. Ginin ya yi amfani da ka'idojin gine-gine masu adana makamashi (passive house) don rage bukatar amfani da na'urorin sanyaya iska. Rufin gini mai lankwasa, wanda tsohon Kogin Luo ya zaburar da shi, yana jawo iska ta cikin sararin ciki mara katanga kuma shi ne babban abin da ke fito da salon ginin. An lullube kwarangwal din karfen da ake gani da karfen Corten mai kamannin tsatsa da kuma karfen da baya tsatsa mai sheki kamar madubi, wanda hakan ya kawar da bukatar karin kayan gyaran fuska. Rufin ciki na dutse mara gogewa yana ba da karfin rike zafi, sannan gilashin da ya taso daga kasa zuwa rufi yana shigar da hasken rana.

The Recognition

About the Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla

Zanen Liao Liao One Cup Kafe ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla, wata karramawa mai tsananin daraja da ake bai wa zane-zane na musamman waɗanda ke da ƙirƙira, basira da hikima. Waɗanda suka lashe kyautar Tagulla kayayyakin fasaha ne masu ƙwarewa da ƙirƙira mai ban mamaki waɗanda ke tabbatar da babban gogewa, tunani da dabarun masu zanensu. Ana sa ran zanen Liao Liao One Cup Kafe ya zama abu da ake girmamawa sosai, ake sha'awa da ƙauna, mai ƙwarewa da ƙirƙire-ƙirƙire. Wannan zane da ya lashe Kyautar A' Design Award ta Tagulla yana haɗa mafi kyawun ayyuka a fasaha, kimiyya, zane da fasahar zamani, kuma yana da kyau saboda kulawarsa ga cikakkun bayanai. Zanen Liao Liao One Cup Kafe yana biyan buƙatu da kyau, yana taɓa sha'awa, yana jan hankalin zukata kuma yana jawo sha'awar sani.

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