In Hangzhou, A.MONO Café’s leafy surrounds, fresh air, and spare yet cosy aesthetic create a relaxed setting for visitors to enjoy their cup of joe

This Mountainside Café Offers a True Retreat from the City
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As much as we like to savour our coffee, sometimes the location of our favourite cafes – usually within buzzing neighbourhoods – restrict that experience. Add to that the daily rush of our lifestyles that require we have our coffees to-go – or, rather, to-run.

It’s an all-too-familiar experience that A.MONO Café in Hangzhou, Zhejiang seems to counter.

A sheltered seating area by the entrance invite passersby, locals and city dwellers alike to stop for a breather – with a cup of coffee, and a pastry or two. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
A sheltered seating area by the entrance invite passersby, locals and city dwellers alike to stop for a breather – with a cup of coffee, and a pastry or two. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Located in Manjuelong Village, the café perches up among the trees by the scenic mountainside – a “famous area where tea trees are cultivated,” describes Minjie Liu, architect and partner at OfficePROJECT, an architectural firm based in China. 

The cafe's original structure has been preserved, and enhanced to mingle with the natural environment, allowing trees in the location to jut through. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
The cafe's original structure has been preserved, and enhanced to mingle with the natural environment, allowing trees in the location to jut through. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

It’s not too far away from both the West Lake and downtown, but you would need to drive or take a cab there, since there is barely any public transportin the area,” he adds. “The café is a 20 to 30-minute ride from downtown if you don’t get caught in traffic.” 

The railing, which runs through the cafe's multiple levels, thoughtfully doubles as a bar. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
The railing, which runs through the cafe's multiple levels, thoughtfully doubles as a bar. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Its open, multi-level design means visitors get their bottomless fill of fresh air, while a large terrace and bay windows frame views of natural surrounds from almost every corner. It makes for a compelling alternative to coffee shops in the city – a respite for locals and visitors alike. 

An open upper terrace with views of the surrounding nature further blur the cafe's indoor-outdoor boundaries. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
An open upper terrace with views of the surrounding nature further blur the cafe's indoor-outdoor boundaries. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Named after ‘mono-ha’, a Japanese theory that emphasises the relationship between one object to another, the cafe's resulting design by OfficePROJECT seamlessly intermingles one aspect with another: the café’s setting in nature, the structure itself, and the visitors it will eventually welcome.    

Inside, an open bar lets visitors in on the coffee-making, baking and cooking activity. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
Inside, an open bar lets visitors in on the coffee-making, baking and cooking activity. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Formerly a house, the 1,180sqft café has two floors, a lower level with floor-to-ceiling openings along the building’s curvature, and an open upper floor, which includes the partially covered terrace and a more traditional interior space.

Large bay windows invite more of the outdoors into the cafe's indoor space, furnished with homely grey and mauve seating, amidst bright wood detail. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
Large bay windows invite more of the outdoors into the cafe's indoor space, furnished with homely grey and mauve seating, amidst bright wood detail. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

“The original structure has been preserved,” says Liu. “We renovated the facade, enlarged the openings, installed bay windows, and renovated the interiors.”

The middle level, featuring grey concrete and wood, evoke a cave-like atmosphere, made cosy and intimate by the warm lighting and the curved edge of the ceilings. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
The middle level, featuring grey concrete and wood, evoke a cave-like atmosphere, made cosy and intimate by the warm lighting and the curved edge of the ceilings. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Downstairs, the concrete walls and curved ceilings mimic the feel of a cave, warmed by the lighting. A long, low table surrounded by beanbags add a thoughtful touch, welcoming café-goers to lay back and linger.

Glass floor-to-ceiling walls and doors continue to enhance the cafe's ambience of being in the great outdoors. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
Glass floor-to-ceiling walls and doors continue to enhance the cafe's ambience of being in the great outdoors. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

Upstairs, an open bar-kitchen anchors the inside space, with stools set up along the bar, allowing for engagement between café staff and visitors. Warm wooden details, vis-à-vis plush grey and mauve seating and large windows, create a cosy, homey feel. Black and white outdoor seating and tables grace the terrace area, a sparse setup that makes way for the endless views all around.  

A long, low table and bean bags encourage visitors to sit back and relax for a while. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
A long, low table and bean bags encourage visitors to sit back and relax for a while. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

One charming feature of the building is that it serves as aintermediate – between landscape and people, as well as between people and people,” says Liu.

Located by a mountainside, in an area known to cultivate tea trees, A.MONO Cafe makes for a compelling and worthwhile trip from the city. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)
Located by a mountainside, in an area known to cultivate tea trees, A.MONO Cafe makes for a compelling and worthwhile trip from the city. (Photo: UNITU, courtesy of PROJECT Architects)

“We are always interested in how a building coexistwith its surroundings, both the built environmentand nature,” he adds, on their ethos as architects. “We also aim to facilitate open discussions on urban issues with the general public through our creative workeven commercial projects such as this one.

Tags: HangzhaoZhejiangAMonoCafePROJECT
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