XxShoku Bakery - Aranya, CH (2021)

The XXSHOKU BAKERY is located on the first floor of a seaside residential building in Anaya Phase 6. The space is long and rectangular, with the longer side facing the street. The interior contains several staggered shear walls. To resolve the fragmented layout of the space while separating the customer and service circulation, we used a massive cross-shaped thick wall that envelops the interior shear walls. One side of the wall faces the bright street-facing area, where bread is displayed, while also serving as the dining area for customers. Embedded below the wall and within the openings are the bar counter and checkout area, creating an interactive zone between the front and back of the space. The more enclosed side, with limited light, is reserved for the kitchen and baking area. While the wall helps organize and separate different zones, the short arms of the cross-shaped walls improve the originally too-long spatial proportions. They divide the interior into three sections: an entry seating area, a bread display area, and a children's dining area, giving the space a variety of scales and functions. The beige textured paint applied to the thick wall makes the central architectural element clear and unique.