Renewal and remembrance

Above ground, the sun is intense, but the underground courtyards offer a cool breeze. Surrounded by remnants of the past – winding metal pipes, instrument panels, switches and massive brewing equipment – there’s a distinctly steampunk vibe, with a touch of Star Wars too. Climbing up to the A tower, we take in a panoramic view from the terrace of what’s now a Starbucks. It feels as though we’re in an ancient space station: the huge windows in front of us could turn at any moment into a universe of stars. But instead of cold steel, warm red terracotta is the dominant note throughout the site, radiating rugged industrial beauty.

The central buildings B and C, carved from beer sedimentation tanks, offer leisure spaces, including Tiao Hai bar, a barbeque bar and Kuddo Coffee shop. A circular path leads from underground to the ground level, connecting to two square exhibition spaces: one hosts the work of young Chinese artists; the other is crowned with a roof of interlocking aluminium rods – a giant sculpture that plays with light and shadow like a beer in a spotlight.

In the D building, Old Masters Fresh Brew is part- restaurant, part-beer museum, in which visitors can explore the brewery’s golden days while savouring
a cold brew surrounded by the aroma of fresh hops and malt. The walls retain the brewery’s old mantra, framed against white and accented with red bricks: “Brewing the People’s Favourite Beer”.

As you wander, you’ll notice the brewery’s lighting, exposed pipes on the walls, raw concrete components, white tiled walls and stainless steel barrels – industrial architectural elements that have been largely preserved. It’s an approach that artfully bridges the old and the new. Take a moment to appreciate the specially commissioned terrazzo floor tiles underfoot, which intriguingly incorporate shards of old beer bottles, lending them a distinctive sparkle. Moreover, the walls’ patchy and damaged white tiles have been restored using the Japanese kintsugi technique, transforming them into streams of flowing gold.