Bars

Subterms

    More stories

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Kelly Wearstler adds pattern-filled bar to Austin Proper Hotel

      by

      American designer Kelly Wearstler has created an intimate cocktail lounge within a hotel she designed in Austin, Texas, which is intended to evoke “a balance between old-world opulence and modern elegance”.

      The Quill Room forms an extension to the existing dining and drinking options at the Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, which Wearstler completed the interiors for in 2019.
      The Quill Room offers hotel guests and residents an additional lounge and bar spaceThe lounge is tucked away on the second floor of the Handel Architects-designed building in Downtown Austin, and offers a French-inspired menu and live music programming for the hotel’s guests and residents.
      Wearstler’s interiors for the bar are awash with pattern, mixing gold, brown and black to create a space that appears warm, rich and elevated.
      A variety of vintage and contemporary chairs populate the spaceMany of the design elements blend nostalgia and contemporary twists, like tufted leather armchairs positioned beside funky sculptural lamps.

      “The design of The Quill Room is a balance between old-world opulence and modern elegance,” she told Dezeen. “The salon-style bar pairs the aesthetics to transport guests to another time within Downtown Austin, while still reflecting the city’s creative and music scenes.”
      Golden patterned wallpaper covers the wallsGolden patterned wallpaper covers the majority of the walls and continues across the ceiling, helping to make the room feel more intimate.
      “A highlight would have to be the gold wall covering,” said Wearstler. “It’s actually an adaptation of a piece from my own archive, originally created during the UK’s 1920s Arts & Crafts movement.”
      Within niches, folded screens feature a checkerboard of gold mirrorSmall tables and mismatched seats are positioned in recesses, against folding panels with a checkerboard of gold mirrors and floral motifs within wooden frames.
      Wearstler’ also included low leather and upholstered seats, as well as taller dining chairs along the sheer-curtained windows.
      Furniture pieces were sourced from Europe and a famous Texas antiques marketMost of the furniture pieces are vintage, or were crafted specifically for this project, including the rugs, lighting and additional decorative items.
      “The Quill Room features a lot of inspired furnishings that represent design through the decades – mainly from the 1960s to 1990s – which we’ve sourced from Europe and as nearby as the famed Round Top Antiques Market,” Wearstler said.

      Kelly Wearstler creates sculptural oak staircase for hotel in Austin

      The bar itself runs straight along the back wall, fronting an open cabinet filled with liquor bottles that is topped with red neon tubes. “It’s a detail crafted by an Austin artist, bringing the modern and the local to the forefront amongst the vintage-inspired,” said Wearstler.
      Another feature element is the illuminated, self-playing Edelweiss piano that was custom designed to offer “a uniquely Texan experience” for guests. There’s also a small, shaded outdoor terrace for enjoying drinks and bites in the warm Austin weather.
      An illuminated, self-playing Edelweiss piano was custom designed to entertain guestsThe new space joins the hotel’s Mediterranean-influenced restaurant The Peacock, private ground-floor cocktail bar Goldie’s, and Mexican-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar La Piscina.
      “I see The Quill Room as a complement to The Austin Proper’s existing restaurants and bars,” Wearstler said. “Like the rest of the property, it embodies modern elegance and refined luxury that heightens guests’ experience of the city while offering an immersive escape.”
      The Quill Room serves cocktails and French-inspired light bitesWearstler has completed multiple locations for the Proper hotel group, including several outposts in her home state of California, such as San Francisco and Santa Monica – which was named AHEAD Americas Hotel of the Year in 2020.
      Her most recent project for the franchise, in Downtown LA, opened last year and features a suite with its own indoor swimming pool.
      The photography is by The Ingalls.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      Eight cherry red interiors that make colour their primary focus

      by

      For our latest lookbook, we’ve picked eight interiors that are blanketed in shades of red that include an office in Belgium, a bar toilet in London and a mansion in Mexico.

      The colour red is most commonly associated with activity, passion, sexuality, love and joy. In this lookbook Dezeen has highlighted ways in which interior designers and architects have used the colour in different interior settings.
      Red terracotta tiles cover the interior of a home in Barcelona and red-tinted glass creates a glowy magma-like hue within the interior of a home located at the base of a volcano.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.
      Photo by Knut BryBarn House, Norway, by Jon Danielsen Aarhus 

      Oslo based-architect Jon Danielsen Aarhus designed a gabled shed that sits on the grounds of a retired couple’s home in Lillehammer, Norway, which is used for painting, sculpting, craft and as additional living space.
      The entrance hall of the gabled shed was covered entirely in red, including its window frames. The colour was chosen specifically to contrast against the structure’s raw timber exterior.
      Find out more about Barn House ›
      Photo by Hannelore VeelaertAEtelier office, Belgium, by Studio Anton Hendrik Denys
      In Belgium, Studio Anton Hendrik Denys and Steen Architecten transformed an industrial office building and added colourful graphics and bold hues to define areas across the interior.
      The kitchen-cum-bar of the office was blanketed in an orangey-red hue, including its floor, walls, ceiling, fixtures and furnishings, which signifies and zones areas of the interior without the need for partition walls.
      Find out more about AEtelier office ›
      Photo by Tim Van de VeldeSocial House, Brussels, by WAW Architects
      A vibrant red covers cabinet doors, drawers, floors, walls and the ceiling of a shared staff kitchen at a social services centre in Brussels, which was designed by WAW Architects.
      The centre is located within a former orphanage and was converted into offices by the architecture studio. Bright hues were used throughout the interior to colour code the office space with red extending from a kitchen to an adjoining corridor.
      Find out more about Social House ›
      Photo is by Felix SpellerSOMA, UK, by Cake Architecture and Max Radford
      Located within a basement in London’s Soho, speakeasy-style bar SOMA was designed by Cake Architecture and Max Radford.
      The restroom of the underground bar was painted bright red and paired with wooden fixtures and trimmings that were used to surround doorframes and recessed shelving in each of the cubicles.
      Find out more about SOMA ›
      Photo is by José HeviaHouse in Sant Antoni de Vilamjor, Spain, by Arquitectura-G
      Red was used as a running theme across this family home on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was designed by local studio Arquitectura-G and sits directly on top of a pre-existing garage.
      Red features both inside and outdoors with many materials used across the exterior similarly used to decorate the interior, such as red bricks, red corrugated panelling and clay tiles.
      Find out more about House in Sant Antoni de Vilamjor ›
      Photo is by Genevieve LutkinCollective/Collectible, Mexico, by Masa
      Rich tones of red blanket the walls and floors of this abandoned mansion in the Lomas neighbourhood of Mexico City, which was used as the setting for an exhibition by gallerist Masa.
      The 1970s home was decorated with furniture designed by 16 Mexico City-based designers and architects, including Esrawe, EWE Studio and Frida Escobedo. The interior features a grand staircase that was topped with a red runner.
      Find out more about Collective/Collectible ›
      Photo is by Joe FletcherLookout House, US, by Faulkner Architects
      Although this room has no physical red elements Lookout House was fitted with red-tinted glass that provides the interior with a glowing red hue when light penetrates through the home.
      The home is located in Truckee, California at the foot of Lookout Mountain volcano. It was designed by Faulkner Architects who wanted to mimic the colour of cooling magma within the home.
      Find out more about Lookout House ›

      Fox Head Inc, US, by Clive Wilkinson Architects
      A bright red interior was selected as a focal feature for the offices of a motocross apparel company in California. The headquarters was designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects which transformed a 7,600-square-metre warehouse into a flexible workplace.
      A conference room at the headquarters was enclosed with red-tinted glass and fitted with a deep red carpet. A large white table and matching chairs, which have a bright red upholstered seat, were placed at the centre of the space.
      Find out more about Fox Head Inc office ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring terraces and balconies, marble-lined bathrooms and cave-like interiors.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Studio North adds plywood barrel vaults to Business & Pleasure bar in Calgary

      by

      A barrel-vaulted ceiling covers this cosy cocktail bar in Calgary, Alberta which locally based Studio North designed as a contemporary take on a speakeasy.

      Business & Pleasure is tucked away between historic brick buildings on a back lane in the Canadian city’s Inglewood neighbourhood, just a few blocks from Studio North’s office space.
      A vaulted plywood ceiling contrasts with the black interior of the bar”The location and scale of the Business & Pleasure bar space immediately reference visions of the iconically intimate and secluded speakeasy from last century,” said lead designers Damon Hayes Couture and Hayden Pattullo.
      “However, this transformation sought to recreate the speakeasy’s quaint and classic qualities using contemporary methods of parametric design, digital fabrication, and material experimentation.”
      The fir plywood is CNC cut to allow it to bendHidden at the back of a cafe, Studio North’s take on prohibition-era drinking establishments features a dark interior, with many of the furniture pieces and surfaces in black.

      In contrast, fir plywood is shaped into barrel vaults of different widths that run the length of the narrow 350-square-foot (32.5-square-metre) space.
      Vaults of different widths run the length the ceilingThe material is kerfed to allow it to bend, forming a cut-out pattern that adds a translucent quality to the wood.
      “Like clouds, the geometry and pattern vary slightly throughout the room to create unique areas and experiences of moving through it,” said Studio North.
      Paper lanterns hang from the wood vaults, which are suspended from steel ribsThe vaults are suspended from a series of steel ribs, and some panels are held in place with magnets – a system that Studio North prototyped at 1:1 scale and built in-house.
      Parametric modelling and computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutting were used to produce the desired effect.

      Frank Architecture recalls 1960s glamour at Major Tom bar in Calgary

      “The pattern of the ceiling kerfing changes using a parametric image map to add and subtract bridge tabs, creating more grid interruption around the seated areas,” the designers said.
      In places, the plywood extends down from the ceiling onto the walls, forming panels that touch the tabletops and shelving in recesses.
      A custom black barn door separates the bar from a cafe at the frontThe same material forms a custom barn door separating the cafe from the bar, which is painted black and allows guests a peek at the back space through the thin vertical gaps.
      Globe-shaped paper lanterns hand from the ceiling to bathe the space in a warm, ambient glow.
      The bar is designed to evoke speakeasies from a century agoArtworks and a selection of vintage items are displayed on the walls and shelves, connecting the contemporary interior to the heyday of speakeasies.
      Studio North is a design-build studio that more commonly works on residential projects, such as a laneway house in Calgary that the team outfitted with a dog nook and a fireman’s pole.
      The photography is by Hayden Pattullo and Damon Hayes Couture.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

      Plantea Estudio creates cosy cave-like room within bar Gota

      by

      A red “cave” hides behind the main dining space of this wine and small plates bar in Madrid designed by interiors studio Plantea Estudio.

      Located on the ground floor of a neoclassical building in Madrid’s buzzy Justicia neighbourhood, Plantea Estudio designed Gota to appear “dark, stony and secluded”.
      Gota sits on the ground floor of a neoclassical building in the Justicia neighbourhoodGuests ring a bell to enter the 70-square-metre bar, and are then welcomed into a dining room enclosed by thickset granite ashlar walls. While some of the walls were left exposed, others have been smoothly plastered over and washed with grey lime paint.
      The floor was overlaid with black volcanic stone tiles that the studio thought were suggestive of a “newly discovered terrain”.
      A counter in the first dining space is inbuilt with a record playerA bench seat runs down the left-hand side of the bar, accompanied by lustrous aluminium tables and square birchwood stools from Danish design brand Frama.

      Guests can alternatively perch on high stools at the peripheries of the room, where lies a slender stone ledge for drinks to be set down on.
      Shelving displays wine bottles, vinyls, and other objectsMore seating was created around a bespoke chestnut counter at the room’s centre; its surfacetop has an in-built turntable on which the Gota team plays a curated selection of music.
      Behind the counter is a storage wall where wine bottles, vintage vinyl records and other music-related paraphernalia are displayed.
      A cave-like dining room hides at the bar’s rearAn open doorway takes guests down a short corridor to a secondary cave-like dining space, which boasts a dramatic vaulted ceiling and craggy brick walls. It has been almost entirely painted red.
      “It’s relatively common to find this kind of vaulted brick space in the basements of old buildings in Madrid – this case was special because it’s on the ground floor with small openings to a garden,” the studio told Dezeen.

      Plantea Estudio casts minimalist Madrid restaurant in shades of beige

      “It was perfect for a more quiet and private area of the bar,” it continued.
      “The red colour is an abstract reference to the brick of which the cave is really made, and also a reference to wine.”
      The space is arranged around a huge granite tableAt the room’s heart is a huge 10-centimetre-thick granite table that’s meant to look as if it has “been there forever”, surrounded by aluminium chairs also from Frama. Smaller birch tables and chairs custom-designed by the studio have been tucked into the rooms corners.
      To enhance the cosy, intimate feel of the bar, lighting has been kept to a minimum – there are a handful of candles, reclaimed sconces and an alabaster lamp by Spanish brand Santa & Cole.
      Red paint covers the space’s vaulted ceiling and brick wallsEstablished in 2008, Plantea Estudio is responsible for a number of hospitality projects in Madrid.
      Others include Hermosilla, a Mediterranean restaurant decked out in earthy tones, and Sala Equis, a multi-purpose entertainment space that occupies a former erotic cinema.
      The photography is by Salva López.

      Read more: More

    • 113 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

      by

      Bulbous steel tanks hang from where carcasses used to be suspended at the ÅBEN brewery in Copenhagen, which local studio Pihlmann Architects transformed from a slaughterhouse into a restaurant and bar.

      Located in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, the brewery is housed in a 1932 butchery that has been used for various commercial activities since the early 1990s.
      Visitors enter ÅBEN through the building’s original blue-rimmed doorsPihlmann Architects maintained and restored many of the slaughterhouse’s original features as part of the renovation for Danish beer company ÅBEN.
      “Turning the space back into a food production facility, with all the pragmatic measures we had to keep in mind, generated our ideas from the very beginning,” studio founder Søren Pihlmann told Dezeen. “Bringing back the authentic character of the space was key.”
      Conical steel fermentation vessels were suspended where carcasses used to hangArranged across one open-plan level, the brewery features the original gridded rail system from which 980 carcasses used to hang when the space was a slaughterhouse.

      Pihlmann Architects replaced the carcasses with conical fermentation tanks that are reached via a low-hanging galvanised steel walkway – also suspended from the listed building’s original sawtooth roof.
      Pihlmann Architects was led by the building’s industrial historyGeometric clusters of white wall tiles that have been preserved since the 1930s were also kept in place, echoing the brewery’s original purpose.
      “Bringing the key elements back to a worthy condition was more of a task than deciding on which [elements] to keep,” noted Pihlmann.
      Semitransparent curtains divide spaces and control acousticsSpaces are delineated by slaughterhouse-style semitransparent curtains, which cloak various dining areas that are positioned around the restaurant’s central open kitchen where visitors can experience the brewing process up close.
      Furniture was kept simple and “unfussy” in order to emphasise the restaurant’s industrial elements, including angular chairs and bar stools finished in aluminium and wood.
      “The [material and colour] palettes are true to function on the one hand and [true to] history on the other,” said Pihlmann.

      Crimson red flooring runs throughout the brewery, which was in place when the building was purchased. It was maintained to add warmth to the otherwise clinical interiors.
      At night, the restaurant’s electric light absorbs this colour and reflects from the fermentation tanks, creating a more intimate environment.
      A central open kitchen is flanked by bar stoolsMaking the food production processes visible was at the core of the design concept, according to the architecture studio.
      “It’s not only about the preparation of the food, it’s more about the brewing taking place,” continued Pihlmann.
      “The space which produces thousands of litres every day is open for everyone to step into, and actually see how and where the product they consume is produced.”

      Óscar Miguel Ares Álvarez converts Spanish slaughterhouse into community centre

      “Today, we are so detached from what we consume, we just go to the supermarket and pick it up from the cold counter having no clue where it’s coming from,” he added.
      “I’m not that naive to think that ÅBEN alone will change anything, but I’m convinced that it’s important to change this detachment.”
      The slaughterhouse’s original white tiles were preservedPihlmann described his favourite aspect of the project as “how the elements we’ve added both submit to and utilise the existing space, not just visually but also through their structural function”.
      “The building is built to carry a huge load,” he reflected. “Back then, it was tonnes of dead meat. Today, it’s enormous serving tanks from the ceiling.”
      Founded in 2021, Pihlmann Architects was included in our list of 15 up-and-coming Copenhagen architecture studios compiled to mark the city being named UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2023.
      Previous slaughterhouse conversions include a training school for chefs in Spain that was once used to butcher meat and a cultural centre in Portugal that is currently being developed by Kengo Kuma and OODA.
      The photography is by Hampus Berndtson.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Space Copenhagen pays homage to historic features in Mammertsberg renovation

      by

      A sculptural spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and panelled walls have been paired with contemporary furnishings in Space Copenhagen’s renovation of a restaurant and hotel in Switzerland.

      Called Mammertsberg, the combined hotel and restaurant is housed within a 1911 villa that overlooks the Alps mountain range in Freidorf, Switzerland.
      Top: a spiral staircase takes centre stage in Mammertsberg. Above: Space Copenhagen has renovated the Swiss hotel and restaurantDanish design studio Space Copenhagen focused on the restaurant and lounge, which were totally refurbished to transform the interior from its previous status as a Swiss-food restaurant.
      Meanwhile, the adjacent six hotel guest rooms were given a light refresh.
      Contemporary furniture was added to the lounge”We embraced the idea of keeping key historic, listed, and structural features, defining for the building and its architectural heritage,” Space Copenhagen told Dezeen.

      “For the transformation towards something new, it felt important to add a diverse mix of furniture, lighting, materials, art and books, all of which could have been collected slowly over time,” the studio added.
      Linen curtains frame the large windowsDue to the building’s historic status, Space Copenhagen faced certain refurbishment restrictions, which resulted in the studio adapting its design around existing features within the property.
      These included a large central staircase by architect Tilla Theus that connects the restaurant on the ground floor to the bar and lounge on the first floor.
      Natural materials were used throughout the interiorIn the 42-seat fine-dining restaurant, which serves up locally sourced dishes, the studio embraced the high ceilings and large windows by adding floor-to-ceiling curtains in tactile, heavy linen.
      “The building overlooks the impressive landscape and alpine scenery that characterises Switzerland and this inspired our design choices and approach,” said Space Copenhagen.
      “It felt natural to treat the house as a large country home from which to enjoy the surrounding nature; offering guests the opportunity to contemplate and recharge.”
      The restaurant has a walnut and linen colour paletteThe surrounding nature was referenced in the material and colour choices, with solid oak tables in varying shapes and sizes dotted throughout the restaurant and lounge.
      Elsewhere in the Mammertsberg restaurant, Scandinavian chairs were upholstered in subdued colour tones such as walnut and light linen, while petrol blue leather was added for contrast.

      Space Copenhagen renovates landmark Arne Jacobsen hotel using updated classic furniture

      “We wanted to create a warm and inviting scene to balance the vibrant dishes while simultaneously seeking a high level of detailing, quality, and refinement in the curation of materials and furniture pieces,” explained Space Copenhagen.
      “We worked with a new approach to solve the layout for the restaurant. Being a small restaurant allowed us to create a sense of familiarity with a variety of different tables – round, square and longer styles – all with different configurations and possibilities.”
      Six guest rooms were given a light refreshThe project also involved updating Mammertsberg’s guest rooms. Each of the six rooms was individually decorated to feel like someone’s private residence, with sculptural lighting and soft furniture to encourage rest and relaxation.
      According to the designers, the limited time frame meant that finer details such as adding new finishes were prioritised over a larger overhaul.
      Each hotel suite is individually furnished”We couldn’t change the polished stone floors in certain public areas such as the restrooms, bathrooms and guestrooms,” Space Copenhagen said.
      “We solved this by applying a different finish which honed them as much as possible towards a more matt and subdued hue, settling into the overall colour and material palette.”
      Space Copenhagen was established in Denmark in 2005 and is best known for its restaurant interior design projects.
      Among them is the Blueness restaurant in Antwerp, which is decorated with bespoke furnishings and Le Pristine, a restaurant that the company renovated with a moody aesthetic.
      The photography is by Joachim Wichmann.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Hello Sunshine features “unlikely juxtaposition” of Japanese psychedelia and cabins

      by

      A “psychedelic inverted cabin” provided Canadian studio Frank Architecture with the design narrative for this Japanese casual bar and restaurant in Banff, Alberta.

      Located in the mountains of Alberta, Hello Sunshine offers barbecue, sushi and karaoke in a retro-influenced space by Frank Architecture.
      Fireplaces sit at the centre of special tables at Hello SunshineThe team imagined an alternate reality, in which Japanese graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo ventured into the mountains and holed up in a cabin for years, and based the interiors on what the result might have been.
      “Taking cues from the unlikely juxtaposition of Japanese psychedelia meets spaghetti western meets mountain cabin, Hello Sunshine is bold, playful, and distinct,” said Frank Architecture, which has an office in Banff.
      The wood-panelled restaurant features a rounded bar at the backThe eatery is located in the middle of the town, which is a popular destination for tourists and winter sports enthusiasts and is laid out to offer a sense of discovery.

      “The spatial planning is intended to feel organic and meandering,” the team said. “Upon entry, the restaurant isn’t immediately visible but is slowly revealed as one moves through space.”
      Japanese elements like paper lanterns and textile artworks and paired with plaid curtains and plenty of woodThe restaurant occupies a tall open space lined almost entirely in wood, with the rounded bar located at the back and a variety of table seating options scattered around.
      Diners can choose between communal benches, four-tops, booths, bar stools, or sit at one of two special tables.
      Booth seating is lined up against angled, shingle-covered wallsThis pair of large circular counters both feature a raised fire pit at their centre, below fluid-shaped flues clad in glossy, glazed ceramic tiles.
      Japanese design staples like paper lanterns and ceiling-hung textile artworks are combined with mountain tropes such as plaid curtains, exposed stone and plenty of wood.

      Frank Architecture creates intimate setting for Calgary’s Lonely Mouth noodle bar

      Blue corduroy fabric is used to cover banquettes, while the booth seating is tucked into a niche formed by angled walls covered with timber shingles.
      In the karaoke rooms tucked away at the back, patterned carpet, lava lamps and disco balls add colour and sparkle to the wood-panelled spaces.
      Karaoke rooms are enlivened by disco balls and lava lampsThere’s also a concealed tiny bar based on those crammed into the alleyways of Golden Gai in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
      “The result is a bold and encapsulating space that surprises and delights guests with unexpected moments and distinctive style,” said the team.
      A tiny concealed bar is based on those found in Golden Gai, ShinjukuThis isn’t Frank Architecture’s only Japanese restaurant – the studio also created an intimate setting for the Lonely Mouth noodle bar in its other home city of Calgary.
      For another spot in the Western Canada metropolis, the team drew inspiration from author Truman Capote to set a 1960s vibe at Major Tom on the 40th floor of a downtown skyscraper.
      The photography is by Chris Amat.

      Read more: More

    • 100 Shares189 Views

      in Rooms

      Studio8 transforms 1930s Hangzhou villa into hotpot restaurant

      by

      Promotion: Chinese architecture practice Studio8 has renovated the interior of a 1930s villa in Hangzhou, China, transforming it into a hotpot restaurant and cocktail bar that celebrates the building’s history.

      The Gud restaurant and bar includes a roof terrace, dining space on the upper floors and bar on the ground floor.
      The 496-square-metre space occupies a three-storey building that was built in 1939, as well as a later-built extension and the ground floor of an adjacent property.
      Antique hotpots are displayed throughout the interiorAlthough the villa had previously undergone a number of renovations, when designing the restaurant Studio8 aimed to maintain the building’s original features, including the street-facing facade.
      Service areas, including the kitchen, restroom and staircase, are located in the extension and adjacent building, leaving the full space of the historic villa for restaurant dining and the cocktail bar.

      The cocktail bar features red velvet seatingThe Gud restaurant specialises in hotpots, which lead Studio8 to study the culture of the cuisine and introduce aspects of it into the interior design, creating a “museum-like experience”.
      The project’s design was informed by three stages of making and experiencing hotpots – the heat from the fire that cooks it, water as the main medium of the food, and the elevation of the flavour coming from the steam.
      Studio8 used the themes of “heat, medium and elevation of flavour” to influence the function, materials, textures and light used in each space.
      The restaurant interior was informed by hotpot cuisineThe cocktail bar on the ground floor of the historic villa was designed to be a lively space. It features a red floor, a fireplace, structural columns that display antique hotpots and red velvet sofas.
      Part of the original brick wall was left exposed and a recessed mirrored ceiling at the perimeter of the room makes the space feel larger and more luxurious.
      The interior nods to the building’s history”As the first element, heat is a fundamental design factor on the first floor, where human interactions were planned out accordingly,” said Studio8.
      “The aim was to create a warmer and more welcoming space at the beginning of the hotpot experience, where people and friends meet first, have a cocktail and wait for everyone to arrive.”
      The restaurant features glass-brick nichesOn the upper floor is the restaurant’s main dining area, which features glass-brick niches in the walls where windows used to be.
      At the sides of the dining area, Studio8 opened up the ceiling to expose the wooden roof structure.
      The third floor includes a private dining room”After passing through the heated cocktail bar, comes the second element, water – the medium that reunites all elements,” said Studio8.
      “Family and friends are seated together in groups around the round tables on the second floor for the food experience, a process that the architects relate to water reconstructing the atoms of the ingredients.”
      A roof terrace overlooks the cityThe building’s original timber staircase was removed and a new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.
      The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors with a “lighting system to represent the continuous energy flow transition”.
      A terrace and private dining room are located on the third floor of the villa.
      A new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.”Here, the customers are reconnected with the city and able to look at it from different heights and angles, corresponding to the last element, steam, the elevation of taste,” said Studio8.
      “The simply designed interior shows off the geometric shape of the attic, while benches on the roof allow customers to have a more exclusive interaction with the city.”
      The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floorsStudio8 is currently working on a number of renovation projects that aim to respect the history of the building, including the transformation of hotels and restaurants.
      The photography is by Sven Zhang.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Studio8 as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

      Read more: More