Located on the grounds of a private house 35 km northeast of Beijing’s city centre in the district of Shunyi. A design team decided to create a unique project and add an open-fire kitchen to a backyard.
“We wanted to create a place for fire, where people gather and cook.”
Christian Taeubert & Sun Min
guò bàn er is an award-winning design agency with expertise in architecture, interiors, event design, and fashion. Founded by fashion designer Sun Min (Sammy) and architect Christian Taeubert, the studio has become famous for its innovative thinking and inspiring projects. The name of their practice refers to having reached the halfway point in their lives. The name is a constant reminder that there is still much to explore if one is only halfway done.
To design the outdoor kitchen studio guò bàn er took inspiration from brutalist buildings. Brutalist buildings are characterized by minimalist constructions that showcase bare building materials and structural elements over decorative design. The style commonly makes use of exposed, unpainted concrete or brick, angular geometric shapes, and a predominantly monochromes colour palette.
In this project, the main volume of the concrete cubature serves as a fireplace, an open-fire kitchen, a stove with two solid steel cooking plates, and a smoking hood.
The 7-meter-long concrete dining table rests on a 1000 kg heavy rock. The clients asked for an outdoor BBQ area for people to gather around the fire to participate in the cooking process. Incorporating the client’s desire for a space that fostered both culinary creativity and social interaction, the architects carefully balanced functionality with aesthetics.
The open-fire kitchen brings friends and family a unique BBQ and cooking experience. Here, culinary enthusiasts can explore the different flavours of outdoor cooking creating a variety of dishes that satisfy everyone’s taste. The open-fire kitchen also transforms cooking into a shared experience sparking a sense of community and comfort.
The combination of the kitchen, bar, and outdoor dining table creates a vibrant social space where people can relax, chit-chat, and enjoy their free time. The project has won the honourable mention at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards.
Photo credit: Boris Shiu
