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Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign by Yi Zhou

Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign by Yi Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Sølv in Interiør, Butikk- og Utstillingsdesign Competition Category.


SølvInteriør· 2026

Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign

by Yi Zhou

Client: Dayi Design

A' Design Award i Sølv Winner in Interiør Category

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The Design

About Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign

Cad Coffee er et kaféinteriør plassert i en tidligere sementfabrikk ved siden av en bypark i Jiangsu, Kina. Det opprinnelige skallet og rammeverket i armert betong ble bevart, med delvis stålforsterkning. Store glassflater fra gulv til tak slipper dagslys inn og åpner rommene mot parklandskapet. Funksjonelle soner er organisert rundt en sentral kaffebar og omfatter amfisitteplasser, tredisker, tekstiltrukne møbler og multifunksjonelle skillevegger. Gjenbrukt tre og grove tekstiler ble anskaffet lokalt. Lokalet dekker 1000 kvadratmeter.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Sølv

Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign er vinner av A' Design Award i Sølv, en usedvanlig prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles design i toppklassen som er nydelige og imponerende. Sølvvinnere er enormt briljante og usedvanlig kreative verk som viser designernes enestående ekspertise, talent og skarpsindighet. Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign forventes å være et praktfullt utstillingsverk som er bemerkelsesverdig profesjonelt og dypt nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Sølv, er en svært bemerkelsesverdig, beundret oppfinnelse som gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. Cad Coffee Kaféinteriørdesign er et skaperverk mange misunner, som vekker ønsker, gir positive følelser og vekker undring og forundring.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
This design revitalizes a former cement factory adjacent to a city park into an open, layered coffee space. Retaining the building's raw structural form and historical traces, the renovation introduces expansive glazing, natural lighting, and modular zoning. Functional areas extend around a central coffee bar, meeting diverse social and individual needs. The result is a fluid, quiet retreat that harmonizes industrial memory with organic textures and urban leisure.
Dimensions & Packaging
The space spans a total of 1000 square meters. Its structural shell uses reinforced concrete, with partial steel frame reinforcement. For fenestration, it features custom French floor-to-ceiling glass panels. Inside, the layout includes tiered seating, integrated wooden counters, textile upholstery, and multi-functional partitions. Natural finishes dominate, paired with curated greenery and art to add spatial layering. Passive ventilation and strategic solar exposure optimize indoor comfort and lighting balance throughout the day.
Tags
Interior Design, Adaptive Reuse, Coffee Space, Industrial Renovation, Nature Integration, Minimal Intervention, Spatial Layering, Daylight Design, Cement Factory Conversion, Emotional Design
Production Technology
The project employed minimal intervention principles, retaining the original concrete shell and frame. Locally sourced materials such as reclaimed wood and coarse fabrics were prioritized to reduce carbon footprint. Large glass panels and French windows were retrofitted to engage the outdoors, while natural light strategies replaced artificial lighting. Restoration over remodeling guided the process, preserving both structural integrity and aged textures.
Design Challenge
The greatest challenge was balancing preservation with intervention honoring the cement factory's raw essence while introducing comfort and adaptability. Regulatory constraints, structural aging, and limited mechanical systems posed technical hurdles. Externally, expectations of renovation equals polish were resisted. The team redefined value as emotional atmosphere over perfection, transforming ruins into a warm, contextual, and shared emotional terrain.
Research
This spatial research explores how adaptive reuse and minimalist renovation can provide emotional refuge within urban settings. Using qualitative site observation, user interviews, and behavior mapping, the study evaluated the impact of spatial openness, daylight, and material tactility on visitor well being. Insights informed design decisions promoting detachment from daily stress. The result: a model of micro-escape architecture balancing emotional need with urban reuse.
Inspiration
Inspired by the emotional fatigue of modern life, the design reinterprets the act of drinking coffee as a pause from relentless urban rhythms. Drawing on the symbolism of ruins, wilderness, and fragmented time, the space merges a disused industrial shell with lush parkland. The aim is not nostalgia, but to plant a quiet unfamiliar moment a detour in life's fast-moving track where visitors reclaim presence through light, nature, and texture.
Project Duration
The project started in February 2024 in Jiangsu, China and finished in June 2024.
Operation Flow
The space invites users into a seamless transition from city park to cafe, with natural light guiding circulation. Centralized around the coffee counter, zones for group gatherings, solo reading, or business interaction unfold intuitively. Elevated seating introduces spatial rhythm, while outdoor garden terraces blur boundaries with the landscape. The space adapts to individual paces whether lingering alone or casually socializing within an open, sensory rich environment.
Patents
Copyrights belong to Cong Lin, 2024.
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #5: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.

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