Beijing Architects Propose Planter Cafes to Battle Smog

Beijing-based design house Penda recently proposed a rebar and timber cafe lined with planters for a Chinese real estate developer that hopes to take the green restaurant concept nationwide.

Commissioned by Beijing hotel developer Hongkun to come up with a design that could be implemented in the company’s chain of Home Cafe shops across China, the team led by Chris Precht and Dayong Sun came up with the modular grid of wooden boxes strung from repurposed rebar frames as a solution.

The timber cases are filled with plant to help offset Beijing’s famously heavy smog, and the concept has already been implemented at initial locations in Beijing and Tianjin.

In addition to putting photosynthesis to work fortifying the cafes’ oxygen quotient, the designers plan to have the planters filled with aromatic herbs whose fragrances complement the smell of the cafes’ espressos and cappuccinos.

“The cafe will welcome people to come in not only for quality coffee, but also to enjoy a green oasis in the midst of a polluted city,” Penda announced in a statement.

The designers repurposed the pre-used steel bars by welding them together into cubicles which create a flexible lattice around the perimeter of the cafe. The modular system can be moved around the room to accommodate different layouts and functions.

“The structural grid offers a space, where various cubic elements can be implemented,” said the architects. “By organising the cubes, the modular system allows a flexible assembly for different occasions.”

Low-maintenance plants – including spider plants, sword fern and Marble Queen – fill some of the boxes, while creeping greenery such as vines and ivy will gradually cover the metal frame.

As well as the planters, the steel structure can house lights and book cases to break up the room and provide support for reading areas. The modules can also accommodate flat shelves for storage or display of decorative items.