Neri&Hu Design and Research Office 如恩设计研究室

BEI Function Space

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

BEI FUNCTION SPACE

Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

ARCHITECTS
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

MANUFACTURERS
dormakaba, De La Espada, Hafele, Magis, Neri&Hu

DESIGN TEAM
Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu, Briar Hickling, Jacqueline Min, Qixiaofeng, Daisy Yuen, Nicolas Fardet, Christine Neri, Siwei Park

AREA
350 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Beijing, China

CATEGORY
Restaurants & Bars

Neri&Hu rehauls Opposite House’s BEI restaurant into “BEI Space” a multipurpose function room serving the increasing demand for meeting and event spaces in Beijing.

While the typical function room in a hotel tends to be situated in dark enclosures with no natural light, the given site actually has an existing skylight.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

To fully utilize this asset, the design challenge becomes how to bring in as much light as possible to the space and how to subdue any sense of being underground.

The resulting design concept, first, creates a landscape zone that is bathed in light, and second, inserts within it a luminous glass box.

The terrazzo landscape starts from the elevated skylight along the existing southern edge of the site. The extent of the terrazzo landscape is articulated through a series of vertical terrazzo stratum, seemingly carved and sliced with precision to define this enveloping corridor.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Guided by the direction of daylight, the terrazzo stratum runs in a uniform direction towards the edge of the underground chamber, overlooking the pool below.

Sitting within this landscape is a jewel-like translucent object that glimmers in the daylight and glows in the evening.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

The boundaries of the luminous box define the perimeter of the main function space which can be further divided depending on the use.

Taking cues from the gray brick constructions that are ubiquitous in Beijing, the glass enclosure is actually formed by cast glass bricks arranged in a typical brick bond pattern.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Every single brick is painstakingly laid piece by piece, and tied in structurally to a vertical wall system.

The material allows all natural light to penetrate deep into the space while only offering obscured views, to maintain levels of privacy.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office

Custom furniture pieces, such as the moveable food and beverage stations are modeled after traditional street vendor carts.

Custom bulb lights are arranged in a grid above for a simple yet elegant illuminations system for maximum flexibility of the space.

BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office


BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
BEI Function Space
© Neri&Hu Design and Research Office


BEI Function Space
Plan 1
BEI Function Space
Plan 2

Neri&Hu Design and Research Office 如恩设计研究室
T +8621 5286 2900
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office 如恩设计研究室
322 Jiaozhou Road, Building 31 Jing'an District, Shanghai China 200040 中国上海市静安区胶州路322号31楼