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      Vermilion Zhou Design Group opts for rich hues in revamp of Haidilao hotpot restaurant

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      Shades of blue and green feature throughout this hotpot restaurant in Shenzhen, which has been updated by Chinese studio Vermilion Zhou Design Group.

      Haidilao, which was established in 1994, is the biggest hotpot restaurant chain in China, with overseas branches in cities such as London, New York and Sydney.
      When its Shenzhen location was in need of a revamp, Vermilion Zhou Design Group was brought in to lead on the design.
      Sky-blue seating lies at the centre of the restaurantFrom the outset, the Shanghai-based studio knew it wanted to avoid the red and black colour scheme that has previously been used in Haidilao restaurants.
      The space has instead been decked out in shades of blue and green that are meant to nod to the chain’s use of natural, fresh ingredients.

      At the periphery of the floor plan are jade-green dining cabinsAt the heart of the restaurant is a bank of sky-blue dining chairs accompanied by tables with flecked, terrazzo-style countertops.
      Bands of shiny brass panelling have been suspended from the ceiling overhead, inset with LED ticker boards that project interactive messages to diners.
      A large LED screen has also been integrated into Haidilao’s facade; it displays moving silhouettes of different people, hinting at the buzzing activity of the restaurant’s interior.
      Tables have terrazzo-style countertopsAround the periphery of the main dining room is a sequence of high-backed, jade-green booths that form intimate “cabins” where small groups can enjoy their meals.
      There are also a number of cosy nooks designed to accommodate solo diners.
      Jade-coloured fixtures and furnishings also appear in the private dining roomTowards the rear of Haidilao there is a drinks counter and a private dining room that can be hired out for special occasions. Tall pivoting doors help close the space off from the rest of the floor plan.
      In keeping with the rest of the restaurant, it features jade-coloured walls and brass-edged furnishings.
      In the bathrooms, terrazzo washbasins meet scalloped wallsVermilion Zhou Design Group has created a small manicure bar within the restaurant’s entryway – not only is it meant to lure in more passersby, but it also gives prospective diners a fun way to kill time while waiting for a table.
      The bar has been rendered blush-pink, boldly deviating from the restaurant’s colour scheme, and has a scallop feature wall.
      Scalloped surfaces go on to appear in the customer bathrooms, which have been finished with oblong mirrors and terrazzo-like washbasins.
      A pink nail manicure bar has been created in Haidilao’s entrywayThere are a number of visually striking hotpot restaurants across China.
      Examples include Jin Sheng Long in Qinhuangdao, where diners sit among thick stucco partitions, and Xinhua Nufang in Chengdu, which perches on the edge of a lotus pond.
      The photography is by Vincent Wu.
      Project credits:
      Creative director: Kuang Ming (Ray) ChouConcept design: Ting Ho, Ming ShiInterior design: Garvin Hong, Xudong Wang, Yuqin Chou, Dandan Guo, Jing Wu, Zihao Yao, Yuxuan Li, Changsong LiLighting design: Vera Chu, Chia Huang LiaoFF&E design: Ping Xue, Ruiping HeVideo: Ming Shi

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      GOA tops Metasequoia Grove Restaurant with cluster of tree-informed pyramids

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      Chinese studio Group of Architects has created a restaurant topped with a canopy made from a series of aluminium pyramidal forms in the village of Suzhou, China.

      The structure, which was informed by a grove of metasequoia trees, was designed by Group of Architects (GOA) for a waterside site in China’s Jiangnan region.
      Metasequoia Grove Restaurant by Group of Architects features a canopy inspired by the trees on site”We want the design of Metasequoia Grove Restaurant to integrate into its natural setting and become a part of the landscape,” the project’s leading architect Chen Binxin told Dezeen.
      “The forms of the metasequoia trees are abstracted and translated into a purely geometric architectural language, a pyramidal frustum.”
      The restaurant features a group of pyramidal aluminium formsMultiple versions of the pyramidal shape in three different scales form the forest-like canopy that tops the restaurant.

      Skylights top each pyramidal module, letting light enter the interior, while short eaves at the canopy’s base frame views across the surrounding wetland.
      Light enters the space through the skylights and perforations in the pyramidsThe pyramidal roof modules comprise three layers: an outer layer of perforated aluminium panels, a central glass layer that increases luminosity, and an inner layer of wood panels.
      “We chose steel columns to respond to the density and verticality of tree trunks and perforated aluminium panels as the roof canopies’ outer layer to imitate the dancing sunlight spots and shadows that filter through leaves,” said Chen.

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      Kitchens and private dining balconies are located in the restaurant’s eastern wing, which is wrapped in a rubble stone facade.
      In an effort to emphasise the lightness of the structure, the studio designed the building to have only 10 load-bearing columns, which have been arranged around the edges of the space. Opposite each of the load-bearing columns is a group of three columns along the window frames.
      Slim columns support the weight of the structureBy adding the same paving to the interior and the waterside terrace, the studio aimed to create a cohesive aesthetic across the restaurant and its exterior.
      Two-metre-wide, single-bay floor-to-ceiling windows connected by narrow frames enhance the visual openness of the space.
      The roof hangs over dining spaces surrounded by glass wallsSet to open in October, the restaurant will be used as both a dining space for visitors and a small banquet hall for holding public events.
      It is part of a larger governmental scheme for the redevelopment of Shanwan village, which will include a B&B also designed by the studio, currently under construction. The proposed development includes guest rooms, additional restaurants, an outdoor events space and a pool, alongside preserved residential houses and forests.
      “As architects, we want to increase the recognition and attention to this village by reinforcing a sense of local identity through the design and turning this project into an attractor to promote the local ecotourism industry while activating the surrounding areas,” said Chen.
      Metasequoia Grove Restaurant by Group of Architects has been longlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      Other restaurants in China featured on Dezeen include Cheng Chung Design’s restaurant inside a brick art installation and a 0321’s restaurant containing a florist enclosed in a translucent pink box.
      The photography is by In Between.

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      Traditional Chinese roof tiles decorate the interior of Blue Bottle Coffee shop in Shanghai

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      Japanese studio Keiji Ashizawa Design has used traditional Chinese roof tiles as the key material at Blue Bottle Coffee’s latest shop in Shanghai to celebrate local culture.

      Set to open on Friday, the cafe is located on the first and second floors of a building connected to the Kerry Centre in downtown Shanghai, close to the over 1,000-year-old Jing’an Temple.
      The new Blue Bottle Coffee shop is located in downtown ShanghaiKeiji Ashizawa Design placed a total of 13,000 handmade brick tiles on the bar counter, stairwell wall and the lounge area of the cafe.
      This particular type of bricks, which have semi-circular edges, were made in Yixing, a nearby city that is known for its clayware manufacturing. A new smoking process was used for the surface of the tiles to increase their strength and create a subtle reflective effect.
      Bespoke handmade brick tiles were used to cover the bar counter”As Blue Bottle Coffee commits to create local communities around their cafes, we always determine the materials and design based on the local, both culture and history,” studio founder Keiji Ashizawa said.

      “Working on a project in mainland China as a Japanese architectural firm, I felt that there was an importance in considering the common aspects between the two cultures,” he added.
      “With that in mind, we looked through images I photographed and found an image of a roof I took from a restaurant in Chengdu, which inspired me to use roof tiles for the cafe.”
      The stairwell allows visitors to enjoy views of the coffee-making processA coffee bar that connects both floors is at the centre of the space, while seating and product displaying areas are arranged around it.
      According to Blue Bottle Coffee, this is to encourage customers to interact with the process of coffee making.
      An open lounge is on the second floor of the cafeThe stairwell is right next to the bar counter on the first floor so that when people walk up to the second floor, they are able to watch coffee being made at the bar area from different heights.
      An open lounge space at the second floor features a hanging paper light above a seating area with dark-brown furniture and leather cushions.

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      Where the shop connects to the Kerry Centre, a series of semi-circular recessed seating areas have been carved out from the wall on both floors.
      The rounded shape of the seating areas not only responds to the roof tiles but also creates privacy for the customers dining in the cafe.
      Keiji Ashizawa Design used concrete in a variety of colours and textures all over the cafe, which has structural columns and slabs in raw concrete. Natural oak furniture was selected to add warmth to the interior.
      The seating areas are designed to reflect the shape of traditional Chinese roof tilesBlue Bottle Coffee was founded as a small roastery in Oakland, California, by James Freeman in 2002 and has since grown into a chain of cafes across the USA and Asia.
      This is the second Blue Bottle Coffee shop in mainland China. The first one was opened in February this year, designed by Schemata Architects, also in Shanghai.
      Previously, Keiji Ashizawa Design has designed three Blue Bottle Coffee shops in Japan.
      The photography is by Chen Hao.

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      Geometric metal fixtures feature in Wuhan's QYF fashion boutique

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      Chinese design studio Sun Concepts Office has accented the pale interior of the QYF boutique in Wuhan with straight, curved and squiggly metal fixtures.

      The interior’s clean, geometric look is meant to reflect the modern womenswear on offer in the store, which occupies two storeys on a prominent corner plot of Wuhan’s Tianyuan Street.
      The store features creamy walls and matching stone floorsAs customers come through QYF’s entrance, they’re welcomed into a large open room.
      Here, the floor is lined with cream-coloured stone tiles while a matching shade of paint was applied to the store’s walls, ceilings and chunky structural columns.
      A curved bench sits at the centre of the floor planAt the heart of the plan is an arced bench, comprised of a shiny metal base and seating cushions upholstered in burnt-orange velvet.

      Nearby, a cream-coloured sideboard is outfitted with a built-in bench and a small stool.
      Clothes are hung from linear metal railsOtherwise, Sun Concepts Office left the store free of bulky display solutions so as to “protect the integrity of the space”.
      Garments are showcased on metal rails at the periphery of the store, some of which are finished with squiggly crossbars. A couple of clothing rails were also concealed behind alcoves in the walls.

      Atmosphere Architects creates optical illusion in Chengdu jewellery store

      Accessories are presented on tiered platforms that run along the outer edge of the store, or on circular metal stands that are affixed to the central bench.
      Extra rows of metal shelves can be seen on the store’s rear wall, positioned beneath an illuminated sign that reads QYF’s French brand slogan.
      Several rectangular mirrors were added to enhance the interior’s sense of depth.
      Curved stairs lead to the second floorA curved set of stairs leads up to the store’s second floor, which was finished in the same style.
      Sun Concepts Office also updated QYF’s facade, installing a huge metal door and several expansive glass windows to tempt passing pedestrians inside.
      Mirrored panels help give the room a sense of depthOther striking retail spaces in China include KVK, an all-black jewellery boutique that plays with customers’ spatial perception, and Harmay, a cosmetics shop designed to resemble a 1970s office.
      The photography is by Liu Zheng and Wang Minjie.
      Project credits:
      Design team: Sun Concepts OfficeChief designer: Liu ZhengLighting: Wuhan Lighting Design

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      Atmosphere Architects creates optical illusion in Chengdu jewellery store

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      Geometric grids cover most of the surfaces in this futuristic jewellery store in Chengdu, China, designed by local studio Atmosphere Architects to play with customers’ spacial perception.

      Located in the Jingronghui shopping centre in Chegdu’s Jinjiang district, the 180-square-metre concept store belongs to jewellery brand Kill Via Kindness, abbreviated as KVK.
      KVK is a jewellery store in Chendu’s Jingronghui shopping centreThe store features a dimly-lit entrance lined with green resin panels, which leads through to a windowless display space where the walls are clad in matt black tiles.
      A gridded black framework is installed across the interior’s luminous, frosted acrylic ceiling and matched below by white floor tiles. At one end of the room, a mirrored wall creates the impression that the interior stretches on to infinity.
      Glossy black tiles cover the store’s modular display units”The core concept behind KVK is ‘the reorganised philosophy of art’,” Atmosphere Architects told Dezeen. “Therefore, the client wanted a space that is flexible and easy to reorganise with flexible and adaptable modules.”

      In response, the studio created display units clad in glossy black tiles, which can be divided and joined together to form different modular configurations.
      Drawers hidden in the walls illuminate when openedDrawers integrated into the shop’s tiled walls provide additional storage and double up as adaptable lighting features.
      “When the drawers are pulled out, the light turns on immediately,” said Atmosphere Architects, which is led by designer Tommy Yu.

      Linehouse designs space-themed cafe in Shanghai for creator of “Australia’s most Instagrammed dessert”

      Spiders are a reoccurring motif in KVK’s jewellery. The brand’s concept store nods to this idea via the spindly legs jutting out from the entrance and the black gridded framework that covers the floors and ceilings like a web.
      “There are many elements about conflict, consciousness awakening, aggression and sharpness in KVK’s product concept,” the studio said.
      “In the space, materials and colours with different lights and shades, depths and textures are selected to express the ideology and beauty of collision.”
      The entranced is lined with green resin panelsOther futuristic monochrome interiors featured on Dezeen include a space-themed cafe in central Shanghai by design studio Linehouse.
      The photography is by Chuan He of Here Space.

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      Sculptural partitions shape blue-tinged interior of Taste of Dadong restaurant in Shanghai

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      Huge curving walls divide the blue-lit dining spaces inside this restaurant in Shanghai, designed by Chinese studio AD Architecture.

      Conceived by AD Architecture to deliver an “emotional”, dream-like dining experience, Taste of Dadong is steeped in an inky-blue light that seeps from LED panels in the walls and hidden strip lighting in the ceiling.
      Curving partitions separate seating areas inside the Taste of Dadong restaurantCarving up the restaurant’s floor plan are several tall curving partitions, amongst which intimate seating areas have been created for small groups of guests. Each one features a circular dining table and leather armchairs, all cast in a blueish hue.
      Alternatively, diners have the option of sitting at one of the booths that have been dotted around the restaurant’s periphery.
      Behind the bar is a luminescent fuchsia-pink drinks shelfSections of the ceiling have been clad with mirrored panels that show warped, upside-down reflections of diners and staff wandering the room, adding to the dreamy quality of the space.

      Meals are also accompanied by what the studio describes as a “psychedelic” soundtrack of songs.
      A pink faux skylight shines down on one of the dining tablesA contrasting pop of colour washes over the restaurant’s bar, where the AD Architecture has installed a drinks shelf that emits a fuschia-pink glow.
      Pink lighting has also been fitted behind an amorphous faux skylight that sits directly above one of the eating areas, as well as in small square openings that have been punctuated above the seating booths.
      Seating booths have been placed at the edges of the restaurantAD Architecture is led by Xie Peihe and has offices in Shenzhen and Shantou. The studio’s Taste of Dadong project is one of many visually-striking restaurants and bars that can be found across the city of Shanghai.
      Others include J Boroski, where the walls are decorated with thousands of preserved insects, and Bar Lotus, which features dramatic arched doorways and a rippled gold ceiling.
      The photography is by yuuuunstudio.
      Project credits:
      Design firm: AD ArchitectureChief designer: Xie PeiheClient team: Da Dong, Yuan Yufang, Tang Mingji, Si Xi, Shi Xiusong, Taste of Dadong Shanghai BranchConstruction team: Beijing Huakai Construction Decoration Engineering CoMechanical/electrical team: Beijing Zhitong Siyuan Mechanical & Electrical Design ConsultingLighting consulting: Beijing Guangshe Lighting DesignFixtures team: Beijing Hezhong Youye Hotel SuppliesKitchen team: Beijing HEC Hotel Supplies

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      Studio Nor scatters chunky stucco walls throughout Qinhuangdao hotpot restaurant

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      Thickset stucco walls hide unsightly structural panels inside this branch of restaurant chain Jin Sheng Long, which Studio Nor has designed in Qinhuangdao, China.

      Jin Sheng Long is a historic eatery known for serving hotpots and baodu – a traditional tripe dish. Since opening its first outpost in Beijing in the late 19th century, the restaurant has expanded into a chain with a number of outlets nationwide.
      Structural panels found throughout Jin Sheng Long are now enclosed by stucco wallsIts latest outpost in the port city of Qinhuangdao occupies a trio of former retail units on the ground floor of a residential tower.
      As a result, the interior is plagued by a number of awkwardly placed structural panels, which Chinese practice Studio Nor chose to retain and turn into key design features by encasing them within chunkier stucco-coated walls.
      The walls demarcate cosy dining nooksThese walls now form a labyrinth of cosy dining nooks that diners can explore, mimicking what Studio Nor describes as the “intricate and meandering” arrangement of stalls in a Chinese food market.

      Even the restaurant’s wooden tables and benches were chosen to resemble the furniture found in these markets.
      The restaurant’s tables and chairs resemble those found in a food market”We got inspiration from Jin Sheng Long’s history,” the studio said.
      “Back in the late Qing Dynasty, the founder of the restaurant started his business by setting up street stalls in Beijing’s famous old Dong’an Market – a then-popular destination full of dazzling attractions and bustling with life and activities.”
      The structural panels located in the centre of the room also serve a decorative function, with their enclosing walls set at unexpected angles and finished with curved niches for displaying bonsai trees, vases and other ornaments.

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      A bar is located towards the rear of Jin Sheng Long’s Qinhuangdao restaurant, in the only part of the room that is uninterrupted by structural panels.
      This area is anchored by an eight-metre-long counter, which is raised up on a stage-like brick plinth to highlight the theatricality of the drinks preparation process.
      Walls at the centre of the restaurant feature curved nichesStudio Nor expanded the restaurant’s windows to bring in more natural light and lined their inner frames with copper in a nod to the traditional cookware used to serve hotpot.
      Artificial lighting, on the other hand, was kept to a minimum in a bid to draw attention to the few illuminated areas that pop up throughout the interior.
      A brick plinth raises up the bar counterElsewhere in Qinhuangdao, BLUE Architecture Studio found another clever way of concealing unattractive structural elements when designing the Zolaism cafe.
      Here, the studio disguised the building’s support columns as huge craggy boulders.
      The photography is by Songkai Liu.
      Project credits:
      Architecture firm: Studio NORLead architects: Boyuan Jiang, Jingwen WangDesign team: Zhongyuan Liu, Wenxuan Xu, Yiming Lu, Shuo YangLighting consultant: Chloe ZhangConstruction team: QX GroupConstruction documents consultant: Shanghai C-Yuspace Design

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      GS Design repeats arch motifs throughout Sumei Skyline Coast hotel on Hainan Island

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      Cresting ocean waves served as a blueprint for the arched forms found on the interior and exterior of this beachside hotel that GS Design has created in Sanya, China.

      Located on the tropical island of Hainan, the Sumei Skyline Coast hotel was designed to reference its immediate environment.
      Arches feature on the interior and exterior of the Sumei Skyline Coast hotelThe building’s facade is punctuated by curved windows and balconies that suggest rolling waves, and is painted in a crisp shade of white to contrast the rich blues of the surrounding sea and sky.
      “We worked to craft the space into a timely and sophisticated art piece with a long lifespan of usage by adopting this classic colour,” explained Chinese architecture firm GS Design.
      Sculptural white furnishings decorate the lounge areaOn the ground floor, a series of upside-down arches runs along the wooden decking adjoining the infinity pool.

      More spots for swimming are found on the expansive roof terrace as well as in the first-floor lounge, where stepping stones lead over a curvy-edged indoor pool.
      The light-filled room is otherwise dressed with a couple of potted plants and an array of sculptural white armchairs with matching side tables.
      Stepping stones lead over the curvy-edged poolThe curved shapes seen on Sumei Skyline Coast’s exterior are echoed throughout its guest rooms, which are accessed via vaulted corridors.
      Some rooms have circular skylights or huge round headboards that project over the beds. Others feature arched recesses accommodating cushioned bench seats or vanities.

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      All bathrooms come complete with a standalone tub, positioned next to the windows to give guests optimum views of the island beyond.
      In keeping with the rest of the hotel, the guest rooms are finished completely in white with textural interest provided by tufted beige decorative cushions that are scattered over the soft furnishings.
      Arched or rounded forms are incorporated into the guest roomsGS Design was established in 2014 and is based in Shenzhen.
      The studio’s Sumei Skyline Coast project joins a number of hotels that have recently opened across China. Among them is BAN Villa, which was designed to look like a “floating village”, and Grotto Retreat Xiyaotou, a hotel modelled on ancient cave dwellings.
      The photography is by Ao Xiang.
      Project credits:
      Architecture, interiors and furnishing: GS DesignDesign directors: Liangchao Li, Yuanman HuangDesign team: Chao Li, Zigeng LuoFurnishing director: Yu Feng

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