Chengdu wide and narrow alley % Arabica coffee shop

Kuanzhai Alley dates to the Kangxi era and consists of three northwest-southeast streets linked by narrow lanes. In the early Republican period, the wider street became Kuan Zhai, the narrower Zhai Alley, and the one with a well Well Alley. As a historic landmark of Chengdu, it is crowded with visitors, but Well Alley, with shops on one side and a wall on the other, retains a quiet amid the bustle. % Arabica's China flagship sits here, in a traditional western-Sichuan dwelling beside a small square in the middle of Well Alley. The single-courtyard house has two side wings and a main hall; south and west sides hold two traditional timber gatehouses facing Well Alley and the square respectively. Grey brick and dark tiles give the old house an austere, elegant memory of Chengdu; many original residents still live nearby, preserving authentic old Chengdu life. Facing this historic dwelling, the design starts by respecting the site's spirit, trying to extend Chengdu's unique temperament into the space, carrying the street-life warmth and leisurely pace of the old city into a minimalist coffee experience.