In contemporary China, cafés, independent shops, bistros and other forms of urban lifestyle are increasingly finding their way into the countryside. Beyond providing places to consume, rural destinations need spaces that can generate activities, foster connections and bring people back. Spitfire Roastery responds to this shift by transforming a coffee roasting factory into a new form of Lifestyle Infrastructure — a place that reconnects production, consumption, leisure and public life.
SPITFIRE is one of China’s early specialty coffee brands. Since opening its first café in 2012, it has developed an integrated roasting, training and supply-chain system, making a dedicated roasting facility a natural next step. Located in Longfeng Village, within Caoshan Tourism Resort in Liyang, Jiangsu, the project combines an SC-licensed coffee roasting facility with F&B, retail and event spaces. Set on a narrow site surrounded by fields on three sides, the project avoids the conventional large-scale factory shed. Instead, inspired by Amsterdam’s distinctive row-house fabric, the program is divided into four independent yet connected volumes: Factory, Roastery, Hub and F&B. The four buildings settle naturally into the surrounding rural settlement.
Conventional factories often hide production behind walls, separating the “back of house” from the public realm. Here, production itself becomes part of the experience. The professional roasting facility opens to the public through three continuous floor-to-ceiling glazed façades. From the arrival of green coffee beans to roasting, grinding, packaging and brewing, the journey from bean to cup is made visible, turning production into an interactive experience and allowing visitors to purchase directly from the source.
At the center of the project, the Hub forms its social core. Designed to change with the seasons and accommodate different scenarios, it hosts everyday visits, coffee competitions, brand launches, training sessions, weekend markets, camping and pet gatherings. A large daylight-filled staircase works as seating, a seasonal display platform and integrated storage, while also connecting the training room and rooftop terrace above with the basement below.
The F&B and retail space is the largest of the four buildings, combining coffee, casual dining, retail and reception. Movable counters, display systems and furniture allow the interior to evolve with changing operations. Working within a limited budget, the building uses standard industrial materials such as steel, galvanized steel and plywood. Structure becomes space; shelving becomes display. Unnecessary decoration is stripped away, while essential details — red light tubes, custom upholstered seating and other elements — contribute to the atmosphere and playful exhibition character of the space.
The architectural language draws from SPITFIRE, the iconic fighter aircraft, translating its lightness, precision, dynamism and mechanical character into space. Wing-inspired forms shape the Hub canopy and coffee counter; a bridge-like terrace, folding factory doors, yellow mechanical lift and industrial elements reinforce the same language throughout the project. The architecture remains open, authentic and adaptable, evolving over time much like the factory itself.
Spitfire Roastery is NOTA’s continued exploration of rural production-space prototypes, following its earlier project Lishui Two Three House Distillery. It reconnects production, consumption and public life, transforming a coffee factory into a new form of Lifestyle Infrastructure — a habitat for the evolving relationship between rural production and contemporary life.
Architecture, Interior & Landscape Design: Nota Architects
Lead architect: Qian Shiyun
Design Team: Zhou Jiachen, Gao Xiang, Duan Yanran, Yao Xinyi (intern), William Sivali Liongso(intern), Ling Olivia Li(intern)
Architecture Construction Drawings：Shanghai Zhongjian Architecture Design Institute Co.,Ltd
Structural Consultant: iStructure
Lighting Consultant: Yingzhe Lighting Consultancy
Facade Consultant: Shanghai ZONING Design consultancy Ltd.
Photographers: Liang Shan, Qian Shiyun
Project Address: Spitfire Coffee, Longfeng Village, Shangpei Town, Liyang, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Completion Time: April 2026
GFA：863㎡
Site Area：1320㎡
Owner：Spitfire Coffee
Contractor：Zhenlong Construction Co., Ltd.
Custom Fixtures：Shanghai Yangyu Construction Decoration Co., Ltd.
Building Materials Brand and Products:Huili Polycarbonate Sheet, SVEZA Plywood (Interior Fixtures),BURGEREE Acoustic Panels,Gabriel Upholstery Fabric
Furniture:Avarte, HAY, Ikea
