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The aesthetic style of the café constructs the city's streetscape forward. Originally a blue café standing at the corner adjacent to the Chiayi Timber Yard, Forward Café moved in 2021 into the neighboring iron factory. Collaborating with the Baishui Design team, it deconstructs and preserves the old elements while rebuilding with a new aesthetic. It relinquishes modular design thinking in favor of natural raw materials, designer furniture, and hand-painted wall sculptures with art coatings, creating a contemporary dialogue between vintage and industrial styles, offering a unique addition to Chiayi’s café scene. When people discuss heritage architecture in Chiayi, they often think of cypress wood houses. It's the first time such a strikingly grand iron factory café appears on the scene—'Forward Café Workshop 2.0'—drawing considerable attention upon grand opening. Head operator Mario stated that in 2016 when returning to Chiayi to start his business, he recognized the significance of cafés in shaping a city’s landscape, and thus considered aesthetic styling extremely important. The chance to plan a second location made this aspect even more critical. While initially the goal was to integrate a roastery, classroom, and exhibition space into this vacant iron factory for nearly 30 years, the pandemic's effects led to the decision to combine the café operations. Remaining unchanged is Forward Café 2.0's commitment to offering only coffee and pastries. Photo source: Tourism News Department of Chiayi City Government | Photography: Mag