The Black House – A Homey Villa That Blends Hospitality With Great Coffee

Seeing all this lush greenery and the open and serene landscape it’s hard to believe that this is a place in Taiwan. Located in Yilan, the Black House is one of the few such peaceful retreats. With a total interior living space of 460 square meters, this is a sort of hybrid between a café and a cozy hotel. The project was completed in 2017 with the help of the architects from C3 and interior designer Po-Lin Chen.
Architects: C3 and interior designer Po-Lin Chen
Located in: Taiwan
Project Year: 2017

Initially, the idea was to create a venue for parties, wine tastings and hospitality in general. The final decision, however, went into a slightly different direction. The building ended up looking like a large barn with a a matte black exterior and an asymmetrical gable roof. It’s structured on three floors, with the café and reception area occupying the ground floor and the guest rooms the other two levels.

Given that there are two different zones with different functions inside the building, the Black House has two separate entrances, one for the café guests and the other for the house guests. This division ensures privacy for everyone. One of the entrances has a large barn-style sliding door and the other features a pivot door. They both add character to the building.

The café is very homey and welcoming, featuring strong industrial-style influences toned down by warm wood accents. Guests can choose from a variety of different types of tables and seats, including large and rectangular tables, small tables with dining chairs and cocktail tables with bar stools.