Guangzhou City Lounge

A former beer factory along the Qian Hangdao River, the Guangzhou City Lounge is located on a portion of the site that adjoins the river. With an existing single-story retail & entertainment project on the site, the project brief called for building a new two-story retail structure above the existing while keeping the existing facilities operational. The new building locates “restaurant bars” perpendicular to the river above the existing building, with alternating courtyards, that look back across the river to the city beyond.

The building redefines the typical retail model at almost every level, enclosing over 35,000 M² to create an urban retail & entertainment center for the city. This circulation is intentionally porous, with frequent active entries along the streets and waterfront that allow the building to operate as a modern version of a traditional bustling merchant setting. As the individual “restaurant bars” weave in and out of a constant framework, a series or renowned restaurant brands can populate and repopulate the courtyards and two-story buildings that stack along the waterfront.