Qinhuangdao City’s rock café

Zolaism is, apparently, an overemphasis on the course and takes its name from the brutal realism of 19th century French author Emile Zola. And perhaps with this in mind, the Zolaism Café in Qinhuangdao City, a resort around 3-4 hours east of Beijing, has as its major talking point, huge rocks that define the space, inside and out, and support the ceiling.

All is not what it seems, however, as the ‘rocks’ are in fact poured concrete fashioned to look like massive boulders that frame the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, flooding the interior with light. There are more of these structures within the walls, helping to divide the space and create more visual interest.

There is a lot to be said for difference and this dessert shop (Zolaism is a dessert brand)-cum-café will certainly have Qinhuangdao City visitors stopping in their tracks to at least give this one, attached to a former cinema, the once over.

The project is the work of architecture studio B.L.U.E.

Pics: Eiichi Kano