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      Johannes Torpe Studio creates “hedonistic” restaurant in Copenhagen

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      Danish design studio Johannes Torpe Studio added natural materials and metallic accents to the interior of Copenhagen restaurant Levi, which was informed by Italian and Japanese cuisine.

      Designed by Johannes Torpe Studio in collaboration with restauranteur Copenhagen Consepts, The Levi restaurant was created as a tribute to Italian grappa distillery Romano Levi.
      Organically-shaped chrome wall lights create an accent wall”Romano Levi was the inspiration behind the concept of creating the hedonistic atmosphere, which the restaurant invites to enjoy,” studio founder Johannes Torpe told Dezeen.
      “We also used his drawings as a foundation and inspiration to create the logo, brand colours, menu and livery paper textures, as well as when choosing the tableware and cutlery.”
      The bar has a green marble countertopDescribed by the studio as “daring and lively”, the interior design aims to create an indulgent setting that reflects the restaurant’s fusion menu.

      Johannes Torpe Studio added a U-shaped bar at the entrance of the restaurant, which features a green marble counter topped with a polished stainless steel glass rack and conical uplights.
      “We are very much in love with the classic Milanese restaurants, where the whole atmosphere is hedonistic, and everything starts in the bar with an aperitif,” Torpe said.

      Elements inside Copenhagen restaurant Hverdagen are made from a single Douglas fir tree

      Custom-made chrome wall lights with organic shapes create an accent wall, designed to add a playful juxtaposition to the natural finish of the larch wood used for built-in furniture and to cover beams and columns.
      Terrazzo flooring in shades of cream, green and deep green was arranged in geometric patterns to help define seating areas.
      Larch wood clads the beams and columns”There is no doubt that the use of chrome elements on the bar, walls, tables, and chairs with wool fabrics is a sharp contrast to the plasterwork around the kitchen area, as well as the consecutively used deep brushed larch wood that is going through the whole restaurant,” said Torpe.
      “The combination of these materials adds a warm and soft element that has Japanese as well as Danish design roots,” he added.
      “We aspire to guests getting the feeling of being in a third space, a feeling of travelling, a break from everyday life and giving that immersive experience a great restaurant should do.”
      The bathroom was finished in peach coloursAlongside the restaurant, the bathrooms were finished in monochrome peach tones with strip lighting around the ceiling perimeter highlighting the ribbed surface of the walls.
      Other restaurants completed in Copenhagen include a cosy Michelin-starred restaurant finished in dark earthy tones and an eatery with furnishings and fixtures made from Douglas fir wood.
      The photography is by Alastair Philip Wiper.

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      Eight offbeat bakeries and patisseries that provide playful backdrops for baked goods

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      A steely space-themed patisserie displaying chunks of meteorite and a green monochrome pastry shop with squiggly furniture feature in this lookbook of unusual and unique bakery interior designs.

      Architects and designers across the world have created bakeries and patisseries with striking interiors that provide a playful setting from which to collect baked goods to take home or enjoy while dining in with a tasty treat.
      From a bakery with an open-plan kitchen that showcases the bread-making process to a cheese tart shop with a Lego display counter, here are eight offbeat bakeries and patisseries that have been featured on Dezeen.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, minimalist Tokyo apartments and bathrooms with colourful sanitary ware.
      Photo is by Jonathan LeijonhufvudBlack Star Pastry, China, by Linehouse

      For Australian chain Black Star Pastry’s first Chinese outpost, design studio Linehouse created a space-themed interior filled with stainless-steel shelves displaying meteorites.
      The shelving extends to the top of the walls and curves to form an arched ceiling. On the white-tiled counter, nine levitating cakes are displayed in glass containers.
      Find out more about Black Star Pastry ›
      Photo is by Mikhail LoskutovBreadway, Ukraine, by Lera Brumina and Artem Trigubchak
      Designers Lera Brumina and Artem Trigubchak finished this cafe and bakery in Ukraine with colourful walls and upholstery.
      Originally a dental clinic, the designers transformed the interior by combining pink and rusty hues with blue and grey tones to “emphasise the warm colour of bread”.
      Find out more about Breadway ›
      Photo is by Imagen SubliminalCasa Mela, Spain, by Casa Antillón
      The Casa Mela pastry shop in Madrid is made up of two rooms that Spanish studio Casa Antillón contrasted by completing one in white and the other in green.
      Customers enter the shop via the all-white room, which features an angular stainless steel counter displaying the sweet treats on offer (pictured top).
      In the green room, metal tables and chairs with wriggly edges provide dining furniture.
      Find out more about Casa Mela ›
      Photo is by Carolina LacazMintchi Croissant, Brazil, by Dezembro Arquitetos
      Architecture studio Dezembro Arquitetos was informed by pastry techniques when designing the Montchi Croissant patisserie in São Paolo.
      The flooring, countertop and bench seating were made from perforated terracotta bricks, which were infilled with concrete piped from an icing nozzle.
      Find out more about Mintchi Croissant ›
      Photo is by Kyung RohCafé Teri, South Korea, by Nameless Architecture
      Located at the base of a mountain in Daejeon, South Korea, the Café Teri bakery and cafe is made up of two buildings with exterior walls that curve towards each other to form an “artificial valley”.
      Designed by Nameless Architecture, the curving walls create a dramatic effect in the bakery interior and slope down to form stepping seating.
      Find out more about Café Teri ›
      Photo is by Volker ConradusSofi, Germany, by Mathias Mentze and Alexander Vedel Ottenstein
      Danish architects Mathias Mentze and Alexander Vedel Ottenstein transformed a former brick factory in Berlin into the Sofi craft bakery with warm tones, wood finishes and red vinyl flooring.
      At the centre of the space is an open-plan kitchen that the architects designed as a “production floor” allowing visitors to watch the bread-making process.
      Find out more about Sofi ›
      Photo is by Takumi OtaBake, Japan, by Yusuke Seki
      A counter made of Lego bricks forms the centrepiece of this cheese tart shop in Kyoto, which was created by Tokyo-based designer Yusuke Seki.
      Bamboo latticework lines the walls on either side of the counter and an open kitchen at the rear reveals the process of baking the cheese tarts.
      Find out more about Bake ›
      Photo is by Jerome GallandLiberté, France, by Emmanuelle Simon
      Interior architecture studio Emmanuelle Simon added arched shelving coves and rounded furniture to the Liberté bakery in Paris, aiming to create a unique space that encourages visitors to stay a little longer than usual while on their bakery trip.
      The rounded shapes were complimented with warm sandy colours and Raku tiles – ceramic tiles that were created by the ancient Japanese firing technique – cover the central island and back walls of the alcoves.
      Find out more about Liberté ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring inviting entrance halls, minimalist Tokyo apartments and bathrooms with colourful sanitary ware.

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      Pihlmann Architects creates sleek brewery in former Copenhagen slaughterhouse

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      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.”

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      “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.

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      MEE Studio creates wood-and-copper interior for cafe in former church in Copenhagen

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      Architecture firm MEE Studio has designed the interiors and bespoke wooden furniture for a cafe and boutique in the Nikolaj Kunsthal art gallery within an old church.

      The municipality-run gallery, which is set in a deconsecrated church in central Copenhagen, asked MEE Studio to design a “lively and functional” space.
      Before designing the interior spaces, which feature warm and tactile materials such as copper and wood, the rooms in Nikolaj Kunsthal first had to be restored.
      The gallery is located in a former church”The spaces had been used for various purposes since the 1980s including art installations and other changing uses,” MEE Studio founder Morten Emil Engel told Dezeen.
      “This has left the spaces with remnants of ad-hoc electrical wiring, bricked-up arches, blocked-off windows and arbitrary lighting. Additionally, there was no water supply or plumbing in the spaces that now have the cafe.”

      The studio reestablished the grand door and window openings in the space and replaced the old acrylic paint with breathable lime-based paint, while also adding acoustic plaster to improve the acoustics of the spaces.
      Untreated copper was used as a backsplash for the barAt the centre of the cafe, Engel created a long bar that also functions as a ticket counter and is made from solid oak wood.
      Wood was also used for all the other furniture, including benches, tables and sculptural shelves, which Engel designed specifically for the project using European oak from sustainable forestry.
      “I wanted the benches to reference church benches – a bit chunky and heavy,” he said. “The church architecture is very robust with the church tower having two-metre thick walls. So the furniture had to have some substance to them.”
      The furniture complements the “robust” church architectureEngel also aimed to give the pieces a contemporary feel by fusing their “heavy look” with more contemporary elements.
      “All the furniture has visible joinery and tectonics in fumed oak, which allows the user to see how they are made and assembled,” he said.
      “I added some decorative inlays in the bar counter and boutique shelves. Inlays were traditionally used as a way of repairing wood and I wanted to symbolise that repair can be beautiful and sustainable,” he added.
      “In this way, it is sending the message that the furniture should have a long life and be repaired if it ages.”
      Artworks decorate the walls, here Pull by Martha HviidBehind the central bar, a copper backsplash adds an eyecatching material detail together with the matching sink and worktops, which were designed in reference to the roof of the old church.
      “As many traditional buildings in Copenhagen, the roof of St Nikolaj Church is made with traditional copper roofing, which has aged to a rich green patina over time,” Engel said.
      “I wanted to reference the existing material palate of the church but use it in a new way. So the kitchen features worktops, sinks and backsplash in raw untreated copper, which will evolve beautifully with time.”
      Lime-based paint was used for the wallsThe white walls of the cafe and store were contrasted with not just the copper and wood but also a burgundy red fabric designed by fashion designer Raf Simons for Kvadrat, which was used for the cushions and backs of the sofas and chairs.
      The colour was a nod to some of the space’s original colour but could also help disguise red wine spills in the cafe.
      “Oakwood was already used throughout the church so it seemed natural to use oak as a material,” Engel explained.

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      “There was also the burgundy red paint which had been used originally for some woodwork, for instance, the stairs in the tower and the ceiling in what is now the cafe,” he added.
      “So it seems natural to work with an interpretation of the burgundy red for the color of the cushions. I matched the burgundy red to a fantastic Kvadrat textile designed by Raf Simons and it worked in providing vibrancy, but also as a practical colour in a cafe where red wine is served.”
      Red fabric was used for the seating, with the artwork Mercury (socks) hanging aboveAs well as the bespoke furniture pieces, the space was also decorated with carefully chosen artworks that have ties to the city of Copenhagen.
      “Mercury (socks) is a photograph by the famous Danish/Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset from a series of classical sculptures by the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen,” Engel explained.
      “The Thorvaldsen Museum is located only a few minutes away from Nikolaj Kunsthal, so the work relates both to art from the 19th century and contemporary art from the 21st century which is what you find in Nikolaj Kunsthal.”
      Other recent interior projects in Copenhagen include Space10’s headquarters, which has a kiosk-like design library, and the cafe and shop design for Designmuseum Denmark by OEO Studio.
      The photography is by Paolo Galgani.

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      Jialun Xiong balances contrasts at “retro-futurist” restaurant in Los Angeles

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      LA-based furniture designer Jialun Xiong has completed her first restaurant interior in the city for 19 Town, achieving a retro-futurist look by pairing soft hues and metallic surfaces.

      Serving Chinese fusion food, the 19 Town restaurant is located in an industrial area close to Downtown LA.
      Upon entry to 19 Town, diners are met at a stainless steel and Formica counterThe name is a play on words from a phrase in Mandarin, signifying a venue that has food and wine according to Xiong, who is originally from Chongqing.
      She used a variety of materials and her own furniture designs to give the space a sense of “lavish restraint”, through the combination of minimal forms and rich details.
      Designer Jialun Xiong aimed to create “high-drama interiors” through the use of contrasting materials”Crafted with rigorously minimal forms balanced by rich materials like Venetian plaster, silver, and leather, the restaurant’s high-drama interiors create an elevated dining experience where connection around food takes centre stage,” said a statement on behalf of Xiong.

      The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-metre) restaurant is divided into five areas, which include the main dining space, a bar and lounge, and three private rooms.
      Glass block partitions define the spacesEach space is designed with its own identity, including the entry, featuring a custom brushed stainless steel and Formica reception desk.
      Behind, the wall is covered in Venetian plaster and plywood cabinets offer storage, while a series of circular Vibia pendant lights hang above.
      Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish the restaurantGlass block partitions define the perimeter of the main dining area, comprising a central seating area with round tables, and custom banquettes made from brushed stainless, green leather and vinyl.
      “Overlooking an open kitchen, the main dining space evokes an aura of retro-futurism,” said the team.
      The main dining room features custom stainless steel banquettesThe lounge is located on one side and the screened bar is situated on the other – both continuing the same design language as the central room, but with their own twist.
      Xiong used multiple pieces from her Building Blocks collection to furnish these spaces, such as a silver powder-coated metal bench with off-white leather upholstered seats.

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      Other items also combine industrial and natural materials, creating a balance between soft and hard, shiny and matte, and heavy and light.
      A variety of lighting designs with disc-shaped elements are installed throughout, adding to the retro-futurist appearance.
      The restaurant has three private dining rooms, all with a restrained aestheticThe private dining spaces are decorated using a monochromatic palette and a restrained approach, with green providing a subtle injection of muted colour.
      The overall result is a series of “balanced spaces where furnishings, lighting, and spatial volumes are considered together as a total composition”.
      The bar also features custom furnishingsMinimalism has become an increasingly popular style choice for Chinese restaurants, both in China and around the globe.
      Others include a hotpot restaurant with thick stucco walls in Qinhuangdao, a muted monochrome space in Ontario, and an eatery featuring stainless steel, brass and polycarbonate in Manhattan.
      The photography is by Ye Rin Mok.

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      Space Copenhagen pays homage to historic features in Mammertsberg renovation

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      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.

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      “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.

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      Gin Design Group completes jewel-toned restaurant The Lymbar in Houston

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      Houston-based Gin Design Group has combined various mid-century references at a local restaurant, which celebrates its chef’s family history and is “a tribute to all grandmothers”.

      Located at The Ion business centre in Midtown Houston, The Lymbar’s design was heavily influenced by the upbringing of chef David Cordúa, whose menu is based on Latin-Mediterranean cuisine.
      The Lymbar’s bar features a mural by Carissa Marx influenced by the colours of the chef’s family homeThe 4,000-square-foot (370-square-metre) establishment is named after Lymbar Drive, the street where Cordúa’s grandparents settled in Houston from Nicaragua.
      It was designed by Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group, who was the chef’s childhood babysitter.
      Tones used for the plush furniture were taken from the bar mural”The Lymbar is my grandmother’s house,” Cordúa said. “The house stayed in our family, and it’s where we perfected our family’s hospitality.”

      “It’s a tribute to all grandmothers,” he added of the restaurant, which is intended to feel both elevated and cosy, achieved through warm lighting, deep red curtains and plush furnishings.
      Greenery is introduced by a life-like tree in the centre and globe-shaped planters above the bar”We wanted to capture the bustle of a hotel lobby, the polish of a private club and the hospitality of the Cordúa family in the design,” Braverman said.
      “Mixed with a confluence of Latin American, Lebanese and Mediterranean textures and art layered over a backdrop of classic mid-century materials such as warm woods, earthy colors and lush greenery.”
      The shelving above the banquette seating displays mementos from the chef’s childhoodThe colour palette for the interiors was drawn from the Cordúa family home.
      Orange, red and olive hues were used as a starting point for a mural painted on the front of the bar by local artist Carissa Marx.
      Artworks in the space in include a collage by Vernon Caldera, while the scalloped floor pattern was hand-painted by Carissa MarxInfluenced by the work of Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle Marx, no relation to Carissa, the mural then informed the tones chosen for the lounge-style furniture.
      Marx also hand-painted a black and white scalloped pattern across the concrete floor.
      Red velvet curtains and warm lighting evoke the appearance of a hotel lobbyOther nods to mid-century design in the restaurant include the shelving at the main bar, which was inspired by Gio Ponti’s Planchart Villa in Venezuela.
      The shelves display a collection of nostalgic objects and mementos from Cordúa’s childhood.

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      Greenery is introduced through a life-like tree that sits at the centre of the dining area and large globe-shaped planters above the bar created in collaboration with locally based Nicaraguan artist Vernon Caldera and The Flora Culture.
      Caldera also helped to curate The Lymbar’s art collection, and one of his collages hangs in the dining room.
      A private dining room is decorated entirely in a red-purple shadeThe restaurant’s open kitchen is framed by a concrete counter and faceted breeze blocks that incorporate lighting. There’s also a private dining room decorated entirely in a red-purple shade.
      Gin Design Group focuses on hospitality interiors primarily in the Houston area. The studio recently completed a barbershop in the Southside Place neighbourhood, which features a radial layout and a hidden cork-like bar.
      The open kitchen is framed by a concrete counter and faceted breeze blocks that incorporate lightingOther restaurants to open in the city over the past year include cosy Japanese spot Uchiko Houston and lively smokehouse Loro Heights – both designed by Michael Hsu.
      The photography is by Leonid Furmansky.

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      Traditional Hong Kong diners inform interior of Bao Express in Paris

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      Design studio Atelieramo has completed a retro interior for a Chinese restaurant in Paris, featuring celadon-green walls and curvaceous wooden booths modelled on those found in Hong Kong diners from the 1970s.

      Architect Tala Gharagozlou and designer Virginie de Graveron oversaw the interior concept for Bao Express, a restaurant near Bastille in the 11th arrondissement that serves dim sum and bao buns.
      Bao Express is a Chinese restaurant in Paris. Top photo by Géraldine MartensHoused in a former button factory, the 500-square-metre space is divided into three areas: a bakery, a diner and a basement bar.
      Atelieramo set out to create a series of distinct yet connected spaces that evoke the architecture and pop culture of 1970s Hong Kong – in particular its greasy spoon cafes, locally known as cha chaan tengs.
      Diners can sit in the eatery’s cosy wood-lined booths”We reinterpreted snippets of that vibrant Hong Kong urban atmosphere with its coloured pavings, pastel colours, neon lights and dense mix of patterns and motifs,” said the studio.

      “The aim was not to create a decor but rather, with a playful nod to these references, create a new atmosphere distinct to Bao’s new space.”
      A larger skylit dining area is located in the rear. Photo by Géraldine MartensThe adaptation of the existing abandoned building involved significant alterations to the floor plates and structure, along with the addition of a new staircase and circulation.
      From the street, customers enter a small bakery and cafe serving sweet and savoury snacks to eat in or take away. What appears as a simple neighbourhood cafe conceals the presence of the larger dining areas, which are set back in the building’s plan.
      A new staircase leads down to the basement bar. Photo by Bérénice BonnotThe kitchens are visible from the street and guests walk past colourful crates of raw produce before passing through a metal curtain to reach the main Bao Express diner.
      The long dining space features cosy booths with sinuous wooden frames. The pastel-green walls are contrasted with bespoke bright-red sconces and simple mosaic panels that echo the materials of the central bar.

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      Towards the rear of the building is a larger dining area topped with an expansive skylight. This bright and airy space is filled with plants that create the feeling of dining in a winter garden.
      Exposed masonry walls painted in celadon-green form the basis for a playful colour palette featuring contrasting peach and pink elements as seen in the glossy tabletops.
      A hammered-metal artwork by SupaKitch decorates the ceiling in the barThe studio’s eclectic use of colour and pattern extends to the geometric tiled floors and punchy black-and-white stripes that are painted on the walls of the staircase leading down to the basement bar Underpool.
      This bar area features a hammered-metal ceiling installation by French artist SupaKitch, with a rippled surface that reflects the blue-green interior and creates the impression of looking up at an upside-down swimming pool.
      The artwork creates the impression of looking up at a swimming poolBao Express is part of a family of eateries in Paris owned by restaurateurs Céline Chung and Billy Pham. Atelieramo was responsible for designing several of the duo’s restaurants, each of which has a unique character inspired by different aspects of Chinese culture.
      Another eatery informed by traditional cha chaan tengs is The Astor restaurant in Hong Kong’s Eaton hotel, designed by New York studio AvroKO, which mixes elements of the city’s diners and street food stalls with nods to the arthouse films of Wong Kar-Wai.
      The photography is by Carole Cheung unless otherwise stated.

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