Snow Peak is an industrial Cafe nestled within a two-story red brick building in MATRO Luxury Centre in Suzhou, adjacent to the northern edge of the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Once 22 red-brick warehouses built in the 1950s, the site has been reimagined into the classical gardens of Suzhou, where architectural order meets the organic flow of nature — a quiet balance of industrial memory and natural ease. Responding to this unique urban fabric, the architect grounded the design in Snow Peak’s core philosophy of “Embrace Your Nature,” using spatial strategy and material articulation to interpret the essence of nature and freedom.
KiKi ARCHi
Adhering to a principle of minimal intervention and deep respect for site-specific context, architect Yoshihiko Seki preserved the original red-brick textures and structural framework of the building. With a restrained yet expressive approach, local elements were reinterpreted into a new formal language, shaping this functional space aligned with the brand’s identity.
By embedding Snow Peak’s pursuit of refined craftsmanship and symbiosis with nature, the design allows historical traces to persist within a renewed spatial narrative, resulting in an open, fluid environment imbued with natural sensibility and intentional calm.
Upon entering the space, a multifunctional bar at the center of the ground floor immediately draws the eye. Serving as the core for brand display, pour-over coffee preparation, display, and cashier functions, it also anchors the spatial flow and visual focus.
Constructed from layered timber strips that echo the structural logic of stacked red bricks, the bar is topped with a steel panel, creating a striking material contrast.
The steel surface extends seamlessly onto micro-cement steps, forming a continuous display interface that conveys a sense of levitation and lightness.
This dialogue of materials continues across the ceiling and seating area, bringing cohesion between spatial details and the surrounding atmosphere.
The micro-cement staircase appears to grow organically from the ground, seamlessly integrated alongside the bar and extending upward to the second floor. With a minimal and restrained form, it connects the vertical space in a fluid, understated gesture.
More than just a circulation path, the staircase also serves as a display element, transforming spatial elevation into an internal rhythm. It is not a separate structural insertion, but a spatial device that drives the continuity and progression of the space.
On the second floor, the design embraces a more restrained and purified expression. The intervention is light yet deliberate, and stepped seating made of reclaimed red bricks anchors the space. Moreover, slender timber strips subtly delineate seating boundaries.
The result evokes a sense of dwelling within a natural terrain, balancing raw authenticity with comfort and refinement. Moreover, existing timber beams are painted white to soften the visual weight of the brick and wood. Further, the designers draw from the theme “Embrace Your Nature” to infuse the space with a local hue, stirring the imagination and evoking a sense of journey into the natural world.
The designers apply natural timber, weathered red brick, refined steel panels, and micro-cement throughout the space. Here, coarse regional textures meet the precision of modern craftsmanship. Moreover, the contrast is not a clash but a dialogue, in which material languages complement one another.
Raw materials respond to the site’s natural fabric, while crafted details reflect the brand’s uncompromising pursuit of quality. Further, it expresses a quiet yet powerful sense of coexistence and mutual reinforcement.
This project embodies and extends Snow Peak’s philosophy of “minimal interference with nature,” as the design team explores a spatial expression that is both free and refined. Through minimalist design, the architect honours the site’s original character and gives shape to Snow Peak’s unique outdoor living aesthetic. Furthermore, it balances the rawness of nature with the subtlety of daily life, letting even urban dwellers sense the poetry of the wild.
Fact File
Designed by: KiKi ARCHi
Project Type: Restaurant/Bar/Cafe
Project Name: Snow Peak Cafe & MATRO Luxury Centre
Location: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Year Built: 2024
Duration of the project: 14 Months
Built-up Area: 2153 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Yoshihiko Seki
Team Design Credits: Saika Akiyoshi & Takahito Yagyuda
Photograph Courtesy: Ruijing Photo Beijing
Project Managers: Yagyuda Takahito
Furniture: Snow Peak
Landscape Architects: Hetong Sheji
Structure Engineers: Luoyang Urban Planning & Architectual Design Institute Co ., LTD.
Firm’s Website Link: KiKi ARCHi
Firm’s Instagram Link: KiKi ARCHi
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