A Restricted Venue
Located in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City, this project is a renovation of a standard commercial and residential podium. The original three storefronts have been combined to create Taiyuan’s first whiskey collection-level bar. The bar’s main entrance faces the bustling Jinyang Street, the city’s main road, and a hidden passage behind the bar connects to the commercial pedestrian street.
Due to the integration of shops and high-rise residential buildings, the space is tightly constrained by the building’s structural elements. Load-bearing walls divide the area into small compartments, while various pipes and shafts run through the space from multiple directions.
Revitalizing the Exterior Wall
The disordered surroundings and current state of the shops made the facade a key element for defining the project’s presence in the urban landscape. We chose to remove all existing exterior finishes and create a new facade unlike the typical lightweight commercial surfaces: a cast-in-place concrete wall. The rich texture of concrete allows the facade to assert itself in the environment, adding new urban textures while providing a durable cover for the existing structure.
The facade features three massive concrete arches that extend over the building’s two-story commercial space. These arches boldly announce the project’s identity and draw attention within its urban context.
The concrete arch motif is reused throughout the design as a signature graphic element, contributing to the bar’s distinctive character.
An Open Bar Concept
The project aims to create a welcoming city bar that integrates seamlessly with its surroundings. To emphasize the relationship between the bar and the street, the main activity area on the first floor is covered by a large, curved concrete ceiling that is suspended independently from the constrained building structure. This ceiling can be separated from the service areas at the back, which house equipment, machinery, and pipelines.
To foster a strong connection with the city, the first floor features extended concrete chairs that bridge indoor and outdoor spaces. Folding windows remove physical barriers between the bar and the street, inviting passersby to engage freely with the space.
The Gradual Evolution of Intimate Spaces
As you move away from the lively first floor and its urban energy, ascend the artistic spiral steel staircase to the second floor, where a more intimate atmosphere unfolds. A custom steel frame display system subtly partitions the space while providing ample room to showcase a diverse whiskey collection. The wine rack is formed by endlessly repeating a single modular element, creating an engaging pattern and serving as the second key visual identity for the project.
To emphasize comfort and intimacy, three separate spaces are enveloped by concrete arches that extend from the walls to the ceilings. Concrete benches are integrated into the design, and real fireplaces add warmth and ambiance.
Raw Materiality
Concrete was a natural choice for this project due to its durability and the elegance it gains over time. On the first floor, concrete is paired with gray-blue brick flooring. The bricks’ color and texture complement the wood-grain concrete walls and ceilings. The green bricks evoke the feel of public spaces, helping to bridge the bar and the city.
Contrasting the roughness of concrete, warm and soft materials are used in areas that require direct contact, such as oak solid wood surfaces on the bar counter and leather upholstery on the concrete benches. This combination offers guests a sense of comfort and warmth within the space.
Project Drawings
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Sectional Perspective
△ Sectional Perspective
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Whiskey Bar – Taiyuan Hujin Whiskey Bar
Location: Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China
Type: Architectural (Facade) Design / Interior Design
Design Team: JSPA Design Zhuohan Architectural Design
Lead Designer: Johan Sarvan
Structural Team: Jiang Jie’s team
Photography: Yan Yu, Liu Xinghao
Video Production: WM Studio
Total Area: 664 square meters
First Floor Indoor Area: 295 square meters
Second Floor Indoor Area: 369 square meters
Material Supplier: SARVAN – Furniture, Lighting
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