DESIGN NAME: Paradise Dynasty Hong Kong
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Restaurant
INSPIRATION: This design was inspired by the Chinese Dynasty, the simple use of materials was reinterpreted by traditional patterns, shapes and forms.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Reinterpretation of a traditional Chinese restaurant into a modern avant-garde design using familiar patterns and icons to infuse into modern Chinese contemporary style. An artist was commissioned to design two Emperor's Robes made up of two contrasting materials; one of it is made with silk embroidery of a dragon sewn on the plastic, while the other is made of clay. The clarity of plastic material represents heaven while clay represents earth.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The location of the restaurant, posed as a challenge for its brand presence as the lift door of the building opens to the only F&B establishment on that level. From an interior point of view, focus was on the experience and how the space unveils itself to reveal the wow factor of the design.
Guests are greeted with a pallet of old Chinese roof tiles and modern laser cut screens, obscuring what is to come. The design layout took on an open dining concept with great resemblance to the theme of -Dining with the Emperor-.
The spaces unfold, subtly revealing the experiences within the compound.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in August 2014 and ended in January 2015. The location is at 6/F, Lee Theatre, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong near Times Square.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: There are 2 key art pieces.
One is a life-size Ming Emperor robe in transparent membrane with hand sewn silk embroidery. Thick plastic film sheet used for the flaps of walk-in freezers serves as the base material.
The other robe, 5000 pieces terracotta clay pecs were tediously stringed together with steel rings. Each of these pecs was shaped to its unique shape, profile and contours of the robe.
Another interesting element was the acrylic drawers that created a luminous and translucent red backdrop for the Heaven robe. It mimics the Chinese imperial medicinal drawers.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: NA
TAGS: Chinese Contemporary Restaurant, Dynasty, Traditional, Modern
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Main focus was the design thematic of the restaurant. Design elements and themes used in Asian cities interpret Chinese theme differently.
It was tedious in brainstorming on ways to express the theme as hip, relatable and embracing with its experiences.
Natural colours and traditional design motif expressions were adopted. Formal and casual space planning, and adaptive colours were also weaved in.
Research was done to understand the Ming Dynasty and reinterpreted into a modern context. More importantly, portraying a folk tale of how the design comes together - a mix of heaven on earth.
CHALLENGE: The two main hurdles of the project were the remote location and the extremely low ceiling levels. The former was countered by ensuring the design will attract the curiosity of patrons. The latter was to ensure that the ceiling is maximised and managed so that the space will not give a claustrophobic experience.
The interpretation of the space was in line with the expectations of the client. Therefore, how the experience and success fell in place was shown through its popularity - long queues and bookings for a table.
ADDED DATE: 2017-02-28 16:19:03
TEAM MEMBERS (3) : Creative Director: Mr Benjamin Kim, Creative Director (China): Mr Sun Hao and Senior Designer: Ms Jocelyn Asuncion
IMAGE CREDITS: Fernando Gomulya
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