Reinterpreting the Garden: Pavilion, Corridor, and Spatial Dialogue in MARUS COFFEE & Coffee Academy

Completed in 2024 in Suzhou, China, MARUS COFFEE & Coffee Academy by Atelier IN is a 437-square-meter retail and educational interior that reinterprets traditional garden architecture within a contemporary commercial setting. The project draws inspiration from three essential elements of Suzhou’s classical gardens: pavilions, corridors, and framed views, translating them into spatial devices that organize and animate the coffee academy.

Suzhou’s architectural identity is deeply shaped by its historic gardens, where architecture and landscape are inseparable. Rather than replicating decorative motifs, Atelier IN abstracted the spatial logic of these gardens. Their goal was to integrate this logic with the inherent characteristics of the existing building, which had undergone a renovation in 2012 that significantly altered its façade and interior structure.

Recovering the “Gray Space”

The original lower floor once contained a row of columned corridors, subtly mediating between interior and exterior. However, the 2012 renovation enclosed the façade with a glass curtain wall, eliminating the transitional “gray space” that traditionally softens boundaries in Chinese architecture. Interior and exterior became sharply divided.

Upon receiving the project, the architects identified this lost gray space as a key issue. Initially, they considered restoring the corridor directly, but this approach felt too literal and simplistic. Instead, after exploring multiple strategies, they proposed inserting a “pavilion” into the existing envelope, an intervention that would reinterpret rather than replicate tradition.

The Pavilion as Spatial Catalyst

In classical Chinese gardens, a pavilion is defined by its roof and partial enclosure. It is a place designed for lingering, a sheltered yet open structure that invites pause and observation. Atelier IN introduced two distinct pavilions into MARUS COFFEE, each addressing different spatial and functional concerns.

The first pavilion engages the façade. An inclined roof extends outward from the building, sloping over the glass surface without detaching from it. This gesture transforms the façade into something more than a flat boundary. The roof becomes both an architectural extension and an abstract pavilion, creating layered depth between inside and outside.

The inclined plane distances itself from purely decorative elements, instead acting as a spatial device. It generates a sheltered zone beneath, reinstating the missing gray space while maintaining a contemporary expression. This pavilion mediates between the city and the interior, offering an inviting transition.

The second pavilion is located within the main coffee area and centers on the interaction between barista and customer. Beneath a defined roof structure supported by four columns, an oval bar counter forms the heart of the space. Here, the barista occupies the center, an intentional “stage” for performance.

Performance and Interaction

The oval counter functions as both preparation area and presentation platform. Positioned centrally, it allows the barista to maintain a sense of enclosure while remaining fully visible. Coffee preparation becomes a choreographed act, transforming everyday service into a performative ritual.

Customers occupy the surrounding space beneath the eaves, seated between the structural columns. This arrangement subtly recalls the experience of sitting within a garden pavilion, gathered under shelter, observing activity at the center. The spatial hierarchy encourages engagement without rigid separation.

Importantly, the pavilion is not conceived as an isolated object. Atelier IN describes it as something that appears independent yet remains deeply connected to its surroundings. To achieve this, the structural elements, steel columns and I-beams, extend beyond the pavilion, intersecting with the existing building fabric. On the west side, beams meet the original wall; on the east side, they generate new partitions and corridors. The pavilion thus becomes a node within a broader spatial network.

The Corridor as Flexible Boundary

The client required three primary functions: coffee shop, teaching area, and office, to operate independently. However, Atelier IN sought to avoid rigid segregation. Drawing again from garden architecture, they introduced a semi-transparent corridor as a mediating layer between the zones.

Rather than functioning solely as circulation, the corridor acts as a flexible boundary. It separates programs in terms of access while visually connecting them. From certain angles, the spaces appear distinct; from others, they merge into a cohesive whole.

In classical garden corridors, one’s relationship to the landscape shifts constantly. Views open and close, distances compress and expand. Atelier IN translated this dynamic into the interior by manipulating transparency. Through varied materials, perforations, and openings, the corridor changes in permeability along its length.

At times, one can pass directly through it. At other moments, only shadows or silhouettes are visible. Ceiling openings allow glimpses into adjacent areas, creating subtle connections even when walls intervene. This elasticity ensures that boundaries are felt but never absolute.

Structure and Detail

The pavilion’s structural system, composed of I-beams and steel columns, visually expresses weight and volume. Rather than concealing the structure, the architects emphasized it as a defining feature. The steel framework forms the primary spatial order from which secondary elements derive.

Lighting fixtures, shelving, and seating are suspended from or attached to the steel beams and trusses. Even electrical outlets and switches are integrated parasitically onto the columns. This layered approach ensures that details serve the overarching design logic rather than distracting from it.

Concrete surfaces and exposed steel reinforce the material clarity of the project. The restrained palette allows spatial relationships to take precedence. Light interacts with the beams and surfaces, casting shadows that enhance depth and texture.

A Contemporary Garden Interior

MARUS COFFEE & Coffee Academy demonstrates how traditional spatial principles can be reinterpreted within modern commercial contexts. Instead of imitating historical forms, Atelier IN abstracted the experiential qualities of Suzhou’s gardens: lingering in a pavilion, moving through a corridor, observing framed views, and embedded them into a retail and educational environment.

The project balances independence and connectivity, enclosure and openness. By reinstating gray space, staging performance within a pavilion, and creating elastic boundaries through corridors, the architects crafted a layered interior that resonates with local cultural memory while embracing contemporary material expression.

In doing so, MARUS COFFEE becomes more than a coffee shop or academy. It becomes a spatial dialogue: between tradition and modernity, between structure and detail, and between people and place.