Page 20 - Designing Ways 280

COMMERCIAL
INTERIOR

Xiaoshi Restaurant, Wenzhou, China

Song-Style Elegance, Japanese-Style Aesthetic of Shadow

Interior by Longterm Design

ocated in the bustling coastal city rain and shifting clouds, he recalled the
of Wenzhou in the southeast lyrical images of raindrops falling on lush
Lof China, known for its mild forest leaves in ancient Chinese literature,
subtropical climate, Xiaoshi restaurant and their association with sentimental Longterm Design, Founder,
draws on the local environment, creating contemplation. This revelation provided Wang Lianglong
a heightened, aesthetically refined dining him with an intuitive template which
atmosphere for its guests. Designer Wang would provide the basis for the design
Lianglong has taken inspiration from which followed.
Chinese classical aesthetics, represented The outer area of the restaurant
by the Tang and Song Dynasty Culture, presents a kind of landscaped stage to
fusing them with the project’s operational visitors, setting the large dining room
requirements and the scale and conditions of the restaurant back from the main
of the existing site, on the upper level of a space of the mall. The provision of this
busy mall - a common location for many intermediary space references nature
Chinese upmarket restaurants. while creating a heightened sense
During Wang’s first site visit, the of transition and anticipation, and
unfinished mall was still open to the sky, ultimately allows for a more private dining
as the roof had not yet been built. Moved experience. The curved landscaped area
by the atmosphere evoked by the gentle incorporates a series of bamboo stalks

20 Issue 280 • dw