Just like any big city with a notable history, you’ll find interesting sights, landmarks, and last but not least, retail venues almost everywhere you turn. Needless to say, this includes Shanghai and its storied inner city. Nestled in an inconspicuous corner of the Huashan Lu neighbourhood is a pastry café so small, you’ll easily overlook if not intentionally searching for it. Called Fine, or rather Fine 西洋果子店 – that would be Fine Western Fruit Shop in plain English, but the name is quite deceiving – it’s part of an eponymous hospitality chain which runs Japanese retro-style cafés and shops in the city. The premises of the new outpost measure a mere 20 sqm. (215 sq.ft.) and are situated alongside bustling Wulumuqi Lu, one of the area’s main thoroughfares. The venue’s interior design is a renewed collaboration with local architecture practice Atelier A, and the chosen aesthetic once again is an intentionally antiquated one. Mind you, when looking from afar at the façade, it’s quite obvious.
The entrance is integrated in an inward triangle which creates a shelter of sorts and a transitional space between the outdoors and the inside along the way. One side is captured by dark olive kernel wood, set in a green metal frame which includes the actual entrance door directly opposite. The design inside sees a staff area with wall panelling, ceiling, exhaust vents and counters made of similar olive kernel wood, all outlined with soft flowers, just like Japanese Taisho-style antique shops The original floor tiles, wall coatings and decorations are removed in the dining area, revealing the original blue bricks and cement of the old building, and all the wiring is exposed. Lighting comprises of suspended lights over the counter and along the wall, two wall lamps, and in sharp contrast, a modern linear light across the ceiling. Fine offers a menu of a wide range of exquisitely made cakes and biscuits, paired with soft drinks and various tea options.
Fine
361 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu (Huashan Lu)
200042 Shanghai
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
