Zhen Chuniang Urban Canteen

In an era where urbanization rapidly advances with homogenized facades, the preservation and awakening of the genius loci have become a crucial mission in spatial design. Commissioned by Zhen's Kitchen, this "City Eatery" is located near the waterfront of Zhuhai. It is not an ordinary dining space but a cultural hub that uses daily sustenance as a medium to mend the emotional connection between urban dwellers and local memory. Therefore, we chose the profound local cultural motif of a Zhuhai fishing village. We sought to capture the heritage and wisdom deeply rooted in local materials and labor, translating them into a modern spatial language that is perceptible, experienceable, and sustainable.
The core design strategy lies in the "contemporary translation of memory." To avoid a straightforward pile-up of symbols, we delved into understanding Zhuhai's fabric, both traditional and modern, from its time as a fishing village. The essence of fishing village life is the wisdom of coexisting with the sea, where everything is related to "weaving": weaving nets for harvest, weaving bamboo vessels for carrying, and even the community bonds formed through symbiosis with the ocean, which represent a weaving of social relations. Starting from this point, we extracted three highly representative elements imbued with artisanal wisdom: "fishing net knots," "intangible cultural heritage bamboo weaving," and "oyster shells." Through rethinking their material properties, crafting techniques, and cultural significance, we liberated them from their original contexts of production and daily life, reshaping them within the logic of modern architectural space. They are no longer mere decorative additions but structural elements that construct spatial ambiance, define zonal character, and guide behavioral patterns. The "connection" of the knotted nets, the "spatial shelter" of the bamboo weaving, and the "sedimentation" of the oyster shells collectively weave a delicate yet resilient emotional network that envelops the entire venue. Ultimately, we created a place that not only fulfills the function of efficient dining but also serves as an "emotional vessel" filled with narrative tension, stimulating diverse localized experiences