Page 23 - Designing Ways 278

provides an appealing visual element
which separates the restaurant’s central
hallway from the main dining room. In
order to give this area a more spacious
feel, the designer has incorporated a series
of mirrored, patterned panels to extend
its sightlines, illuminated with pink
lightboxes within the opposite walls to
create an attractive ambience reminiscent
of blooming lotus flowers. A number of
freestanding, illuminated shelves are also
placed here, subtly dividing the space
and giving diners a sense of privacy.
They display traditional tea containers
of famous varieties from Hangzhou and
Hunan province, and are reflected in the
top surfaces of the shelves, recalling the
clarity of the West Lake’s surface on a
calm, quiet day.

Conclusion
Taking inspiration from the traditional
aesthetic of Jiangnan gardens and
Hunan province cuisine, the designer
imagined this place as a metaphor for
an elegant, contemporary woman from
Hunan walking by the West Lake, gentle
and refined on the outside but full of
warmth and emotion on the inside. The
client behind The Lotus Garden name
wanted a place which would perfectly
convey an experience of true, authentic
Hunan cuisine in the city of Hangzhou,
and this fusion of varying times, styles,
and materials creates a rich dining
environment which achieves exactly that

dw • Issue 278 23