Creative Shaanxi Cuisine-Xiao Chang’an

The project is housed in a minimalist Chinese style detached building with a total of 1,500m2 of indoor and outdoor space, surrounded by landscaped gardens with black pines and an excellent outdoor environment.

The main entrance is designed with a 50 mm-thick white granite wall, symbolizing for 'leaving blank space' in a Chinese painting. The bronze stainless steel illuminated logo is the first sight when entering into the space.

Entering the interior, we have set aside a large volume of space for 'leaving blank space', allowing people to have a larger receding view of the black pine landscape pond through the large floor-to-ceiling windows designed to see the natural beauty of the landscape. The use of spatial 'leaving blank space' creates a borrowed landscape in classical Chinese gardens.

By making use of the ideal floor height, in the middle of the hall, we have left the concrete roof bare and undecorated, while the red lanterns, which are normally used for lighting, are the highlight of the design, just like in the classic film The Red Lanterns Hang High by famous director Zhang Yimou. In addition to its own lighting, the larger lanterns, not only for the external lighting, but a sculpture of the space, mark the most impressive memory point of the entire space. I think it's a great thing that there is no absolute 'meaning' to anything, it can be all kinds of possibilities.

Each seat has a clear view of the outdoor black pine landscape through the blank space and openings in the wall, like a composition. The Chinese flavour may not necessarily have to be expressed in a complicated way, but the blank space and the dynamic change of the landscape over time may be the most advanced technique.

The furniture in the space was found at flea market and was undersized. We designed stainless steel work of equal proportions and shape to create an East-meets-West piece of furniture that looks like a giant food box. With the addition of splashes of light, the old furniture, takes on a new flavour.