Cliff Café and Tower House | Trace Architecture Office

Excerpt: Trace Architecture Office’s Cliff Café and Tower House project explores the horizontality and verticality of forms to connect the buildings to the earth and the sky. The Tower House is a vertical volume aiming at the sky, while the café is a horizontal plane pointing towards the skyline. Spaces inside both buildings are intended to provide breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and the sea.

Project Description

[Text as submitted by architect] Jiming Island stands alone in the middle of the sea, and is noted for the cliff, rocks and sea horizon, which create a sense of distance from the city. The site is located on the edge of a cliff, facing the vast sea in the north as if it is the end of the land. With craggy mountains and chilly sea, the concrete building is perched on the natural landscape like a giant rock.

One end of the building is embedded into the rocky mountain, where the roof becomes an extension of the landform, pointing to the sea horizon. In contrast, the other end protrudes from the edge of the cliff as if it is about to break away from the mountain and extend into the sea, creating a tension between artificiality and the nature.

Down the steps into the building, as into the interior of the mountain. After experiencing the heavy concrete walls, one will meet the sea again at the edge of the cantilevered end, having a feeling of floating on the sea. The opening on the ground of the cantilevered part of the building gives people a direct sense of the cliff’s height.

A space is designed to offer spectacular views of the sea at the rear of the building, which can only be reached by passing through a dim tunnel. Behind the door, there is also a meditation space with skylight, providing a haven of tranquility in the mountain.

The café is a horizontal plane pointing to the skyline, while the Tower House is a vertical volume pointing to the sky. With a plan of only 4.5m×4.5m, the Tower House appears as a tiny dot against the vastness of the sea, gaining energy.

Inside the Tower House, the living spaces such as living room, study room, bedroom and bathroom, which are normally spread in horizontal direction, are arranged vertically from bottom to top. Each level has a viewing window with a different height, angle and proportion to experience the view, bringing people to various perspectives and dimensions of the sea.

Horizontality and verticality, ascending and descending, insertion and cantilever, the building connects with the earth and sky through the basic gestures of architecture, bringing people back to nature.