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RooMoo resuses old whiskey barrels inside Shanghai’s Laizhou Bar
CategoriesInterior Design

RooMoo resuses old whiskey barrels inside Shanghai’s Laizhou Bar

By Zarkon Group,

Chinese interiors studio RooMoo has used nearly 6,000 pieces of oak from discarded distillery barrels to adorn this whiskey bar in Shanghai.

Laizhou Bar is located in the city’s buzzy Xuhui District and is an offshoot of Laizhou Distillery, a Chinese whiskey producer based out of Sichuan province.

Exterior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
Wood offcuts from Laizhou Distillery’s whiskey barrels feature across the bar’s facade

The distillery prides itself on reducing its environmental impact by using low-temperature saccharification machinery and collecting wastewater so it can be converted into biogas energy.

So Shanghai-based studio RooMoo placed a similar emphasis on sustainability when designing the bar, where almost 6,000 pieces of wood from the distillery’s discarded oak barrels were reused as decoration.

Interior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
The offcuts were then used to construct a ringed structure on the bar’s ceiling

“The bar imports the materials used in the distillery’s production process, creating a symbiosis between the two spaces,” said the studio.

“Each dismantled barrel piece was different in terms of width, length and grain, so we classified them and applied them to different positions.”

Interior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
RooMoo assessed and classified all of the offcuts before use

Barrel pieces are first seen on the bar’s facade, where they have been placed horizontally to create a lattice-like effect.

The facade is otherwise only punctuated by a wide-set door and an expansive window, where barrels printed with the distillery’s logo are displayed.

Interior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
The bar’s slatted partition walls are also made from barrel offcuts

Once inside, guests step into a whiskey sampling area with a green marble tasting counter. Suspended directly above the space is a dramatic double-ringed sculpture crafted from barrel offcuts.

More wooden barrel pieces were used to construct a curving, slatted partition in front of the main bar.

A long seating banquette bends around the back of the room, accompanied by a series of black tables and leather chairs. There is also a huge light-up wall where liquor bottles are put on display.

Interior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
Black leather furnishings were incorporated throughout the main bar area

On the ceiling here are the beginnings of another ringed sculpture, which will be completed as soon as the distillery has used up more barrels for the studio to use.

“We made the ceiling structure beautiful enough to open the bar first,” explained the studio. “We are not hurrying to finish it, but following the production process and waiting for the wasted materials to be produced.”

Off to the side of the main bar is a more private VIP tasting room. At its centre hangs a bespoke light crafted from the circular metal bands, which once held together the distillery barrels.

Interior of Lai Zhou Bar by RooMoo features offcuts from wooden whiskey barrels
The ceiling sculpture will be completed once the studio receives more offcuts

Lai Zhou Bar has made it to the shortlist in the sustainable interior category of the 2023 Dezeen Awards.

The project is up against Edit restaurant by Elly Ward and Joe Morris, which is clad with salvaged terracotta tiles, and the Big Beauty store by Nina + Co, which is decked out in biomaterials like mycelium.

Reference

RooMoo integrates local materials into Som Land Hostel near Shanghai
CategoriesInterior Design

RooMoo integrates local materials into Som Land Hostel near Shanghai

By Zarkon Group,

Thatched roofs, recycled bricks and bundles of sticks were used to construct this hostel on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, which Chinese studio RooMoo has organised around two existing buildings.

The site is surrounded by water and forests, creating a secluded rural environment on the island that’s located across the Yangtze River estuary from the vast metropolitan area.

Two buildings clad in recycled bricks and thatched roofs
RooMoo completely transformed two existing buildings using materials found on-site

The Som Land hostel was designed to integrate with this natural landscape and respect the local customs and traditions.

“The resort’s name Som Land comes from the traditional Chinese colour, the warm green between the mottled gaps in the tree shadows, representing a state of relaxation and slow-paced life,” said Shanghai-based RooMoo.

“In terms of overall space arrangement and planning, Som Land focuses on nature and humanistic traditions.”

Walls covered in recycled bricks in an unusual pattern
The buildings are clad using recycled bricks in a pattern based on a local cloth

The architects revived two old houses on the site, manipulating their existing forms and layouts to meet the new requirements while adhering to planning restrictions.

The larger two-storey structure that acts as the accommodation block was overhauled and extended to include an additional floor – now totalling 552 square metres.

Staircase with glass top
In the larger of the two buildings, the staircase was moved to the north side

“Because the original building has problems, it is necessary to adjust the old and inappropriate space layout and add new design strategies to provide reconstruction to match the new requirements,” said RooMoo.

While its perimeter footprint remained the same, the building was transformed both internally and externally.

Guest room with neutral tones and sticks on the ceiling
The rooms are decorated with neutral tones and natural materials

Planning codes limited the height of the eaves. So to provide extra space, RooMoo steepened the pitch of the roof so that the extra storey could tuck inside.

Large dormer windows create even more space on this upper floor, while balconies were added to the lower levels to extend these, too.

View from guest room into a tiled bathroom
Wood furniture and woven textiles connect the interiors to the rural setting

The staircase was also relocated to the north of the building, allowing three guest rooms per floor to fan around the glass-topped circulation core.

Each room has its own bathroom facilities, and some suites include a bathtub that overlooks the balcony and the forest beyond.

Neutral tones and natural materials decorate the interiors, which feature wooden bed frames, tables and chairs, plus woven textiles and lighting.

Tree branches gathered from the site are framed into panels that cover parts of the ceilings in both the rooms and corridors, while bamboo poles partition the staircase flights.

Thatched building with a glass extension
The second building was extended on the west side with a glazed addition

“The guests staying can feel the space environment of non-machine standardised production, so most of our material selection is from nature and the local site,” said RooMoo.

The second single-storey building that was originally a tool shed was also completely rethought, becoming a reception and communal space where crumbling walls and a tiled roof once stood.

Dining area inside wood-framed glass structure
This building is used as the reception and a communal space for guests

As with the larger structure, the roof pitch was increased to its maximum allowed height and its boundary was also pushed outward.

The top of its gabled form was cut off and the flat plane turned into a window to allow plenty of natural light into the interior.

Strips of wood curve from the ceiling, while a central brick fireplace divides the open space
A central brick fireplace divides the open space

On the west side, a wood-framed glass addition is extruded from the building’s profile to face the water.

Inside, thin strips of wood swoop down and curve outward from the skylight, helping to distribute the light.

A variety of local products displayed on wooden shelves
A variety of local products are displayed in the reception building

A curvaceous brick fireplace and chimney stack are positioned in the centre of the open room to separate the reception area from a lounge and dining space.

Both buildings were re-clad in bricks recycled from the original structures, in a pattern based on local cloth that casts shadows across the facades.

Dining room of a hostel in China
Strips of wood curve from the ceiling to funnel in sun from the skylight

Thatched roofs were also added as a nod to the region’s historic building traditions. “In our practice, we tried to recall the traditional way of manual binding to build a roof of reed poles,” said RooMoo.

“Therefore, we hope to bring out the first impression of the sustainable concept and practice of earth materials returning to nature,” the studio added.

“The design treatment is to provide hotel guests with a warm and relaxing vacation with a deeper understanding of the local style of the environment.”

Gabled structure with glass walls glowing at night
The top of the gabled roof is cut off and covered in glass

Som Land is longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category for the 2023 Dezeen Awards, becoming the latest hostel in China to receive recognition from the program.

Previously, the Capsule hostel and bookstore by Atelier Tao+C in a small rural village was named interiors project of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by Wen Studio.

Project credits:

Design team: RooMoo
Construction: Shanghai Guixiang Decoration Engineering
Lighting consultant: Shanghai Yiqu Laite Lighting Industry

Reference