Y restaurant by the sea

This is Vector Architects' third seaside public space in the Aranya community of Beidaihe, after the Seaside Library and Chapel. The restaurant sits next to the library, so how to form a compatible coexistence with a strong, existing spatial object is the key starting point. The library is a spiritual place with integrity and clear boundaries, where wind, light and views are redefined; there, people and sea are in a gazing relationship. For the restaurant, the design seeks a non-integrated, more relaxed, everyday atmosphere. Whereas the sea is gazed at in the library, here it becomes a background; diners glance at it casually and notice whatever happens on the water. The fragmented spatial boundaries and inner courtyard nestle among existing trees, and the building reads as a directional, floating roof over the rising terrain, half-hidden in the woods. Canopy, roof and dining space form three layers in section; in the sea breeze, the whole thing feels light and everyday.