Located in Chongli, home to some of the best ski slopes in China and a key site for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Cang 41 is a new café and bar established by a group of passionate skiers on the heels of the country’s growing enthusiasm for winter sports. Chinese design practice JUMGO Creative drew inspiration from the architecture of polar research stations creating a visually striking venue that stands out against the mundane surroundings. From the red-painted exterior, to the retro-futuristic daytime zone and mid-century elegant nighttime bar area, to the playfully-detailed custom-made furnishings, Cang 41, which takes its name from Chongli’s latitude, is an unexpectedly sophisticated, design-led refuge that has both skiers and non-skiers at hello.

The venue’s exterior takes a page from modern Antarctic research stations, which typically take the form of low-slung, modular structures set on hydraulic stilts. Housed on the ground floor of an aluminium-clad building, its elongated prismatic volume, painted a vibrant red, juts out just enough to appear as if hovering above the street. The polar station sensation is enhanced by the entrance: a metallic staircase leads to a raised gangway at the end where a discrete sliding door that opens with the push of a button awaits.