DESIGN NAME: Florentina
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Fine Dining Restaurant
INSPIRATION: The client’s brief was that they wanted a mid-high end Italian Restaurant and then they gave me a Poem called One night in Firenze. It was a Chinese Poem written turn of the century by a famous Chinese Poet, Xu Zhimo. I took my own perception and experience of being in Florence. Staring up at the sky and watching how the light continually shifts on grey and white marble surfaces that pervade the city. The space that the diners find themselves in is one of spatial poetry. Italy poeticly articulated in space and form.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The restaurant design tells a parallel tale about Florentina and how food can be experienced. It was important to create a space that served as a sanctuary from the hectic city of Beijing outside , evoked by the use of natural materials and soft finishing's. The concept is driven by a poem about Florence, so I embraced the notion of the atmosphere and the turbulence of the sky and the clouds. Thinking about the space more theatrically, I designed the space to be cloaked in cloud,
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The restaurant design takes diners on a journey as they step into the eatery across marble chevrons entering a tranquil bar area, gently transitioning away from the bustling streets of Beijing. As the guest walks through the space they are shifted by the graduating pattern in the space that shifts them into a room full of clouds. They find themselves in an interpretation of Florence.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: Commenced December 2015 and completed in April 2015 Beijing, China
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Traditional Italian materials were used through out. The marble was cut in Carrera and selected for exact tone and shade through out the space. All of the lighting is bespoke. The lighting in the main space is hand blown Murano glass. Fornasetti was celebrated in the wall coverings, while bespoke chairs are detailed in Italian leather.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: -
TAGS: restaurant, design, emma, maxwell,
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The office is interested in the notion of "Crafting the Traditional". Ongoing research with the beauty of Italy’s Renaissance and particularly the city of Florence facilitated this project perfectly. Time spent before project commencement in Florence researching materials and techniques and colour schemes. Most notably the Medici Riccardi Palace. Theatrical devices that one may find in these spaces may be found articulated in Florentina
CHALLENGE: The main challenge was achieving a very high standard of detail using traditional European techniques in China. It required the principal to be based out of Beijing for 2 months to supervise build to satisfaction Finally, we found a contractor in Northern China who had a sympathetic skill set.
ADDED DATE: 2016-02-23 10:26:27
TEAM MEMBERS (1) : Emma Maxwell
IMAGE CREDITS: Image 1. Photographer, Shen, Florentina, 2015
Image 2. Photographer, Shen, Florentina, 2015
Image 3. Photographer, Shen, Florentina, 2015
Image 4. Photographer, Shen, Florentina, 2015
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