The Plain

The Plain: Rough and Cozy, Simple and Natural
璞石酒吧：粗砺且舒适，朴实而自然

Location:
The Plain is located in Xijingyu, Jizhou District, Tianjin. Jizhou District is located in the northernmost region of Tianjin, adjacent to Beijing in the northwest. Xijingyu Historic Village is surrounded by mountains, giving it the name "Xijingyu" which means "well in the midst of mountains". The village situated on the hillside and its original appearance is well-preserved. In the past, houses in the village were constructed and built with stones. The core area of the village still retains over 50 well-preserved stone houses from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, earning it the nickname "Stone Village".

地理位置：
璞石酒吧位于天津市蓟州区西井峪。蓟州区隶属于天津市，位于天津市最北部，其西北方与北京市相邻。西井峪古村落四面环山似在井中，因此得名。村落依山而建，整体保持着它形成时的风貌。历史上家家户户以石头垒屋、石头建屋。石头巷里，重重叠叠，错落有致。核心区留有50余座清末民初间保存完好的石头垒砌建筑，因此也被人们称为“石头村”。

Requirements:
The client has acquired an existing residential building in the village and wishes to transform it into a unique bar different from the existing establishments in the village. In the client’s vision, the bar should have a certain artistic modern style while incorporating local elements from Xijingyu Stone Village, such as stone walls made of shale and limestone. In terms of functionality, the client wants the building to primarily serve as a bar, supplemented by areas for a grocery store, burger shop, studio, rooftop bar, and other functional zones.

需求：
业主寻得了村落中一处现存民居，希望将其改造为一座与村落中现有业态不同的建筑——酒吧。在业主的脑海中，这座建筑是具有一定艺术性的现代风格酒吧，同时设计上也需要结合西井峪石头村的当地元素——由页岩、白云岩砌成的石头墙。功能上，业主希望这座建筑以酒吧为主，辅以杂货铺、汉堡店、工作室、屋顶天台等功能区域。

Concept:
The project started with survey from two perspectives: nature and people. From the natural environment, Jizhou is a mountainous area. The rock formations of the cuesta are arranged diagonally, layer upon layer, forming a magnificent and distinctive natural landscape. From the people's character traits, Jizhou people are known for their cheerful and bold personalities. Whether in the city or the countryside, they give off a sense of down-to-earth steadfastness. Based on these findings, we formed a clear impression in our minds: stones and liquor, cheerfulness and boldness, rough yet comfortable, simple and natural.

概念：
在项目初期，我们从两方面进行了调研：自然和人。自然环境上，蓟州多山，单面山的山石肌理斜向排布，层层叠叠，宏伟壮观，是非常具有特色的自然景观；从人出发，蓟州人性格多爽朗豪迈，不管是城区还是乡村，都给人一种不拘小节的踏实感。综上，我们脑中的印象逐渐清晰：有石头有酒、爽朗与豪迈、粗砺且舒适、朴实而自然。

Design Focus:

设计重点：

Design Concept:
The client named the bar "The Plain", which perfectly aligns with our vision on the architecture. The process of sculpting jade and the creation of a building share a consistency. The beauty of jade lies within the stone, and the beauty of space lies within the architecture. Polishing the raw stone reveals the luster of jade, and carving the architectural masses shapes the interior space, revealing vitality. In Zhuangzi's "Mountain and Wood", it is said that the highest realm of jade carving is to "carve and polish, and return to simplicity". After undergoing a series of carving, it ultimately returns to simplicity. This also reflects our design philosophy. We hope this building can be rooted in the local environment, using local materials, and achieving a simple yet effective architectural expression.

设计思路：
业主将酒吧取名为“璞石”，这与我们对于建筑的思考一拍即合。玉石的雕琢与建筑的生成过程具有一致性。玉的美就藏在了石中，空间的美就藏在了建筑中。雕琢原石露出玉质，散发光彩；切割建筑体块塑造室内空间，显现生命力。《庄子·山木》中说，玉雕的最高境界是“既雕既琢，复归于朴”，经过一番雕琢，最终要回到质朴中去。这一点也是我们设计思想的真实写照。我们希望这座建筑能够根植于当地环境，使用当地材料，做简单而有效的建筑表达。

Building Structure:
We have preserved the main structure of the existing building and carried out renovation. The original building was a single-story dwelling, and after the removal of the building envelope, two main issues were highlighted: interior columns and structural tilting. Firstly, the original structure consisted of reinforced concrete walls and columns as vertical load-bearing elements, and the floor slabs were made of reinforced concrete. The original building designed as a residential space which had narrow room span and limited depth. Removing some non-load-bearing walls revealed the high density of the columns, which causing the difficulty of renovating it into an open public space. Secondly, due to the construction quality of self-built houses in rural areas, some walls and columns had tilted after years of use. Considering these factors, we have introduced an additional steel structure system to reinforce the original structure, eliminating safety hazards. We have also removed continuous interior brick walls extensively, reducing the segmentations of the space and creating an open and high-quality spatial experience.

建筑结构：
我们保留了建筑物原有的主要结构进行了改造更新。原建筑物为单层民居，建筑物围护结构拆除之后，有两个问题凸显出来：室内柱多，结构倾斜。首先，建筑物原结构为砖混结构，竖向承重构件为砖墙和构造柱，楼板为钢筋混凝土楼板。建筑物原功能为民居，开间与进深较为狭窄，拆除了一部分非承重墙体后结构密集，不适宜直接改造为开敞的公共空间使用；其次，因为乡村自建房原施工质量不算优秀，部分墙柱在多年使用之后存在一定程度的倾斜。鉴于此，我们采用了附加的钢结构体系对原有结构进行整体加固，消除了安全隐患，并尽可能移除大片连续的室内砖墙，减少原有墙体对于空间的切割，创造开敞并具有品质的空间。

The Extraction of Mountains:
What can reflect the character of Jizhou in the architecture? We found the answer in the mountains. The layered rock formations of the cuesta create a diverse and rich natural texture. The extracted folding lines from these natural textures possess a dynamic and concise strength. The north facade of the building tilts towards the street, creating a sense of motion that extends into the interior.

山的提炼：
用什么能在建筑中体现蓟州的性格特质呢？我们从蓟州群山中找到了答案。单面山的山岩层层叠叠，一重又一重，形成了多样丰富的自然肌理。从自然肌理中提炼而出的折线具有动势且简练有力，这就是我们想要的答案。建筑北立面层层向街道倾斜形成动势，动势延伸到室内，包裹了被加固的建筑结构，并按照一定的角度保留动势带来的倾斜。

Visual Extension and Mental Space:
The horizontal beams and vertical columns provide a sense of order and regularity. However, the preserved inclined rectilinear allow people within them to extend their visual perception towards the spaces that are obscured by overlapping elements. This dynamic not only creates a more interesting physical space but also expands people's mental space, stimulating their desire to explore the space.

视觉延伸和心理空间：
横平竖直的梁柱空间带给人规律感和秩序感，而保留了倾斜动势的梁柱空间，让处在其中的人们即使静止，视觉的触角也会向着因重叠而被遮挡的空间中延伸。这种动势不仅创造了更有趣味的物理空间，同时也扩张了人们的心理空间，激发了人们在空间中探索的欲望。

Entrance Gallery and Star-path:
Natural light illuminates the entrance corridor through colorful glass skylights. Sunlight shines on the walls, and the mirrored stainless-steel panels on both sides reflect the light into the gallery. The direct and reflected light interplay, creating diverse light and shadow effects as the sunlight moves. People walking along the gallery will see ever-changing and intriguing scenes due to different angles and multiple reflections between the mirrors.
The star-path is paved with rectangular stone slabs and local rock slabs. Series of recessed mini ground lights extend from the entrance corridor and the street-facing terrace into the indoor passage, bringing an outdoor ambiance and starlight into the bar. As night falls, the stars twinkle. The recessed mini ground lights in the path sparkled like stars scattered on the ground by the Milky Way. People walk on the path, stepping on the starlight, and enter the bar.

入口走廊和星光小径:
自然光透过炫彩玻璃天窗点亮了入口走廊。阳光洒在墙壁上，两侧高低错落的镜面不锈钢板将光反射到廊道中，直射光与反射光交相投射，随着阳光的移动形成了多样化的光影效果。在走廊中行进的人们，望向镜面时也会因为角度的不同和镜面之间的多重反射，而看到不停变换的有趣景色。
星光小径由矩形石板和当地岩板分段铺成，星光灯从入口走廊和临街平台延伸至室内通道，它们将户外感和星光一并带入酒吧。夜幕降临，繁星点点。嵌入在小径中的灯光闪闪烁烁，就像银河洒在地上的星星。人们走上小径，踩着星光进入酒吧。

Local Sourcing and Recycled Materials:
Local sourcing and the use of recycled materials are our main strategies. Among the local materials, we selected slate, pebbles, and gravel. Slate is used for indoor and outdoor flooring and wall cladding, pebbles for washed stone wall cladding, and gravel for courtyard paving. Among the recycled materials, we use recycled glass rocks in red wine and beer colors. Both types of glass rocks incorporate a certain proportion of discarded wine bottles in their production process. Through high-temperature melting or pressing techniques, the recycled materials gain new textures, making the most of their potential. These glass materials are combined with lighting inside the space, and warm light passes through the red wine and beer-colored glass, immersing the entire space in a cozy and enchanting atmosphere.

就地取材与回收材料：
就地取材与使用回收材料是我们的主要策略。在本地材料中，我们选用了石板、豆石、砾石等。使用石板做室内外铺地和墙面、豆石做水洗石墙面、砾石做庭院铺地。回收材料中，我们选用了红酒色回收玻璃石和啤酒色晶玉玻璃。两者在制作过程中都采用了一定比例的废旧酒瓶，经过高温融化或高温压制工艺，赋予回收材料新的肌理，物尽其用。而这些玻璃在室内都与灯光结合出现，暖光透过红酒色与啤酒色的玻璃散射到室内，使整个空间沉浸在舒适而沉醉的氛围中。

Conclusion:
For us, this building represents more than just a significant attempt at rural architecture renovation. It encapsulates our profound affection for Jizhou and the unwavering commitment of all parties involved in this project. We aspire for this building to inject a touch of captivating charm into Xijingyu's future endeavors.

结语：
对于我们而言，这座建筑既是我们对乡村建筑改造更新的一次重要尝试，又凝结了我们对蓟州的情感以及项目中各方参与者的用心。希望这座建筑能够在未来的生命历程中让西井峪变得更加有趣。