folded triangular roof planes shape cafe along china's yangtze river

"The LuxeRivers café sits at the intersection of mountainous terrain, waterfront edges, and elevated urban infrastructure in Chongqing, China. The project by Wide Horizon + Epiphany Architects inserts a small, carefully calibrated building into a highly charged urban landscape shaped by the constant interplay of mountains and water. The building responds to these conditions by mediating between urban systems, natural geography, and everyday public life through a light and restrained spatial intervention."

"Between the two roof planes, a semi-outdoor transitional space emerges, functioning as a threshold between interior and exterior while offering multiple possibilities for sitting, pausing, and viewing the surroundings. Through the most fundamental geometric operations, Wide Horizon + Epiphany Architects generates layered and dynamic spatial relationships. The interior continues its lightweight architectural logic. By organizing the enclosure through perimeter walls, the architects minimize the presence of interior columns, allowing the space to remain continuous and visually uncluttered."

LuxeRivers café occupies a transitional site where mountains, waterfront edges, and elevated urban infrastructure converge in Chongqing. The building is defined by two folded triangular roof planes set at roughly thirty degrees, producing a concise silhouette with distinct park-facing and lakeside expressions. The park side slopes low to echo metasequoia trees, while the lakeside roof opens outward toward a birdwatching tower and river, incorporating a southern water curtain. A semi-outdoor space between the roofs serves as a threshold with seating and viewing opportunities. The interior favors perimeter walls to reduce columns, maintaining a continuous, visually uncluttered space.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine