stone-oven bakery and restaurant reconfigures 1970s auditorium in rural china
Tens Atelier revives 1970s rural auditorium as Stone-oven Bakery
Cycle&Cycle Stone-oven Bakery Restaurant by Tens Atelier is located in Shangwang Village, Fusheng Town, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. The building was originally constructed in the 1970s as a rural auditorium, associated with Nixon’s visit to China and carrying a specific historical context. In 2022, Cycle&Cycle acquired the construction and usage rights, initiating renovation and structural reconstruction, which was completed by the end of 2023. In early 2025, the program was redefined as a rural stone-oven bakery, and Tens Atelier was commissioned to develop the interior spatial design.
The site is shaped by a natural topography that rises to the west and descends toward the east. The eastern side opens toward views of the surrounding village, fields, and mountainous landscape. This orientation defines the main dining area, where full-height glass curtain walls establish visual continuity between interior and exterior conditions, emphasizing daylight and landscape as spatial elements. The western and northern edges are bordered by bamboo groves, resulting in a more enclosed spatial condition. These areas are organized to accommodate supporting functions, including the back kitchen and restrooms. The overall layout is structured through an ‘inner architecture’ approach, where spatial organization responds directly to the environmental gradient and circulation logic of the site.
The spatial configuration maintains openness while distinguishing between interior program and exterior view corridors. The stone oven and the landscape beyond the glass facade operate as primary focal elements, establishing two opposing spatial anchors within the composition.
entrance | all images by half. half.
Material restraint defines Cycle&Cycle bakery and restaurant
Given the rural context, the design avoids an urbanized or highly refined expression. The designers at Tens Atelier opt for material choices and construction methods that are aligned with a restrained approach, reflecting local conditions and available craftsmanship. The interior is conceived as a single open volume without partitions, requiring adaptation to accommodate the functional demands of a dining program.
The original vision emphasized a return of bread-making to its rural origins through a stone-oven bakery of high technical standard. Within the existing auditorium structure, this intention is expressed through a large-scale stone-fired oven as a central spatial element. The oven, initially specified at 2.7 meters in diameter and 2.2 meters in height, was later reconfigured in scale. Rather than positioning the space around the equipment, the equipment was integrated into the architecture. The oven was extended vertically to six meters, reaching the ceiling plane and establishing a dominant internal structure.
Budget constraints influenced several design decisions. The initial proposal to remove existing white paint and expose the underlying red brick was replaced with retention of the existing surface finish due to labor cost considerations. Similarly, proposed modifications to the roof and skylight system were reduced, preserving the original ceiling structure. These adjustments maintain the existing architectural condition while limiting intervention to essential spatial operations. Construction is carried out by a local team using traditional building techniques. This condition informed a design strategy focused on simplicity of assembly and constructability, ensuring alignment between design intent and execution capability.
seating area with plants
material reuse and modular construction guide the renovation
Material strategies initially explored the use of recycled timber, discarded village materials, and locally available bamboo. Due to cost and execution constraints, the approach was adjusted toward standardized materials combined with on-site processing. In the eastern dining area, prefabricated wooden pallet systems were initially considered but replaced with marine plywood, cut and assembled on site to reconstruct a similar modular logic.
Furniture and spatial components were developed through timber bracket modules and combined with cork elements to form movable seating units. These elements were designed for reusability and were later redeployed in other brand-related installations, extending their material lifecycle.
The project approach is based on minimal intervention, prioritizing the retention of existing spatial conditions and material character. Rather than introducing a new visual language, the design engages with the site through reduction and adaptation. The resulting space maintains continuity between architecture, landscape, and use, positioning the bakery as a functional extension of the original auditorium’s public role within a rural context.
general view
stone oven
cashier & coffee counter
bakery counter with flexible seating
view toward the stone oven
flexible seating area
flexible seating area
seating area with plants
a view through every window
a view through every window
project info:
name: Cycle&Cycle Stone-oven Bakery Restaurant
interior design: Tens Atelier | @tensatelier
location: Shaoxing, China
area: 420 sqm
interior design: Tens Atelier
lead designer: Tan Chen, YUI
design team: Guo Ankey, Jiao Huimin
architectural design: Fan Architectural Firm (FANAF)
graphic design: MORE Studio
photographer: half. half.
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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