Greater than Architectural New Work: ANAR FC Aranya Store
Editor: Cai Ruruo (internship) | Proofreading: Li Bochao | 2024.11.15 09:09
designunit larger than building
Project address Aranya Caper Town
completion time June 2024
Building area 292 square meters
The text of this article is provided by the design unit.
ANAR FC is a grassroots football club from Shanghai. Their members come from many countries and nationalities. Young people with different professions, different skin colors and different backgrounds are brought together because of football.
ANAR FC is a grassroots football club from Shanghai, with members from various countries and ethnicities. They come from different professions, with different skin colors and backgrounds, but have gathered together because of football.
Aranya is a diverse community. Aranya Caper Town, where the project site is located, is a community place with the theme of sports and youth culture. The indoor space expands horizontally, facing the No. 9 football field and Dapu River. While the outdoor stadium is reflected indoors as a landscape, the indoor business formats also radiate to the entire stadium, making the football cultural scene more three-dimensional.
Aranya is a diverse community, and the venue for this project is located in Aranya’s Riverain, a community space themed around sports and youth culture. The indoor space extends horizontally, facing the Phase 9 football field and the Dapu River. The outdoor field is part of the landscape and reflects into the indoor space, while the indoor business radiates out to the entire field, creating a more three-dimensional football culture scene.
“Football connects everything”
“Together through football”
Shaping space starts with understanding the nature of space, the diverse and inclusive world sport of football. In this space of nearly 300 square meters, we need to plan different functions including barbecue, craft beer and retail; at the same time, we need to consider different operating scenarios during the day, night and late at night. These functions and scenes start from football, and finally present slices of different scenes such as food culture, sports and entertainment, and fashion trends. In this space, people of different genders, ages, and cultural backgrounds can gain happiness from the sport of football.
The design of the space begins by understanding the essence of football, a global sport known for its diversity and inclusivity. In this nearly 300-square-meter space, functions like barbecue, craft beer, and retail coexist. The design caters to various operational scenes—daytime, evening, and late night—starting from football and ultimately reflecting food culture, sports entertainment, and fashion trends. In this space, people of different genders, ages, and cultural backgrounds can all find joy through football.
“Under one roof”
“Under the Canopy“
In terms of layout, retail and catering are located on the east and west sides respectively, with an area ratio of roughly one to two. The restaurant enjoys a better location facing the football field and a longer extension, while the retail is closer to the commercial area, making the two visually connected and smell-isolated. In order to connect the indoor space with the outdoor courts, catering and retail, we built a huge eaves. The eaves cantilever towards the stadium, and their form is inspired by the structure and components of modern football stadiums.
In terms of layout, retail and dining are divided between the east and west sides, with the ratio being about one to two. The dining area enjoys a better position, facing the football field with a longer frontage, while the retail area is closer to the commercial zone. The two areas are visually connected but isolated by smell. To connect the indoor space with the outdoor field, and the dining with retail, we created a large canopy. This canopy, cantilevered towards the field, draws inspiration from modern football stadium structures and components.
The indoor space gives up part of the area under the eaves, making the outdoor space under the eaves more comfortable. The window system that can be fully opened allows the beer bar to connect the outside area and the stadium. TV screens in different areas and sizes play football images throughout the day, becoming the visual center of each area.
The indoor space under the canopy allows for a more comfortable outdoor area beneath it. A fully openable window system connects the beer bar with the outdoor seating area and the football field. Different-sized TV screens throughout the space broadcast football games all day, becoming the visual focal points of each area.
Under the same roof, there are players who have just finished playing football and are taking a break to rehydrate, there are hungry diners eating barbecue, there are fans having fun watching football while drinking beer, and there are also hipsters who are following football fashion culture and buying clothes. All the scenes are because of the Football lives harmoniously under this roof.
Under this canopy, you’ll find players resting and hydrating after a match, hungry diners enjoying barbecue, fans watching the game while drinking beer, and trendsetters shopping for football fashion. All these scenes coexist harmoniously, brought together by football.
Football is a diverse carrier. In this space, the combination of color and geometry is as highly saturated and recognizable as a jersey. Different areas have different color combinations and geometric symbols.
Football is a diverse medium, and in this space, the combination of colors and geometry resembles football jerseys—highly saturated and distinctive. Different areas feature different color schemes and geometric symbols.
The material combination and variable lighting atmosphere create different scenes of the football barbecue bar and the upper end of football culture, which can be tough and refreshing, or warm and vivid. The flexible combination of props can be gathered or dispersed, giving the space more operational possibilities.
The combination of materials and adjustable lighting creates different atmospheres—ranging from a robust, refreshing vibe to a warm, lively one—reflecting both the football barbecue bar and the elevated football culture. Flexible furniture combinations allow for versatile setups, giving the space more operational possibilities.
Complete project information
Project name: ANAR FC Aranya store
Project completion time: June 2024
Building area: 292 square meters
Architectural Design/Interior Design: Greater than Architecture
Firm website: www.studioyuda.com
Contact person name: James James
Contact email: [email protected]
Company location: Room 402, Xiangyang Building, No. 97, Xiangyang North Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
Chief architects: Zhan Budi, Guo Yuchen, Yang Siqi
Email of the chief architect: [email protected]
Xiaohongshu account: Greater than architecture
Project address：Building 113, North Shore Queyue Town, Aranya Phase 9
Client: ANAR FC
Lighting Design: Buhot Lighting Design Studio
Construction party: Qinhuangdao Mingong Architectural Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.
Chief Designer: Zhan Bidi, Guo Yuchen, Yang Siqi
Design team: Zhan Bidi, Guo Yuchen, Yang Siqi, Guo Jianu
Copyright statement: This article is published with permission from Greater than Architecture. Reposting is welcome, but reprinting in the edited version is prohibited.
Submission email: [email protected]
