Designer Dinings
In this article, Hospitality Trends for 2008, hospitality professionals identified the design of a restaurant to now be a significant factor in the dining experience. Dining is no longer just about the food, it's now about how the customer feels during the meal.
This inspired us to explore the subject of how the design of restaurants is now a part of the dining experience. We selected two distinctly different restaurants to look at; the traditional style of The China House at The Oriental Bangkok and; the ultra modern Bed Supper Club. Purely by co-incidence both are located in stand alone buildings although The China House is part of the five star Oriental Hotel.
To understand the creative inspiration behind both of them Laurence Civil spoke with Lyndon Neri of 'Neri and Hu Design and Research' based in Shanghai China who was responsible for The China House and Chris Redpath of 'Orbit Design Studio' based in Bangkok, the creator of Bed Supper Club.
"Our brief for The China House was very simple," says Lyndon Neri. "We were told to insure that the new China House will be a beautiful destination and to keep in mind 1930's Shanghai as a reference".
"Inspired by the vibrant 1930's Shanghai Art Deco period, The Oriental, Bangkok's China House restaurant has been re-designed and revived into an avant-garde eatery that serves classic yet contemporary cuisine in a refined atmosphere. The concept of the design rests on re-thinking of "period" decoration and how one is able to convey the spirit of a time without being overly literal. The end result is a fresh evocation of this cultural period, mixing very few actual deco furnishing with modern pieces against an interior-architectural setting that aims to balance a new experience of fine dining with a reluctant dosage of nostalgia.
"It was important for us that we do not merely duplicate the 1930's art deco Shanghai", he continues, "otherwise we end up creating a theme park. We tried to create an abstract interpretation of the 30's. For instance by creating the double height space in the middle, we were in essence recreating the great ballroom prevalent in the 30's in Shanghai".
"We sourced all over the place for the pieces of artwork we used," he says "but a lot of them were bought in antique markets in Beijing and Shanghai. The art works were also especially commissioned.
"The essence of Shanghai in the 1930's is more important to us than decorative authenticity".
In total contrast, Chris Redpath of Bangkok based Orbit Design Studio created a white oval-shaped tube, a clean canvas on which they bathed a spray of lights. "The concept has a glass fronted tube", says Chris, "on which were able to continuously play with lights and shadow. On the opposite side we built a gently sloping ramp that leads up to the restaurant and bar. Our aim was to combine a chill space with a horizontal dining restaurant".
"The characteristic soft form of the exterior continues right into the interior of pure precise lines that act as an anecdote to the chaos reigning around outside. The project's exterior been done completely in steel corresponds to an interior based on materials such as concrete and treated resin. Grey-white is the predominant shade throughout and is the base for a wide range of continuously changing colours produced by computer controlled lighting."
"White is the symbol of purity", he adds, "but also modernity and fills the entire space. It passes from the ceiling walls to the floors to the staircase and furniture and continues onto the beds, the distinguishing emblem of the club. Two levels of oversized beds with heavy cushions and low panel stands – elements halfway between a tray and a table; unconventional dining surfaces that work here. They circumnavigate the wall perimeter both on the ground floor and the level above, inviting guests to dine in comfort and style. Both the levels surround the bar, positioned as the center of attraction with a projection screen above. Recognizing that horizontal dining may not suit all, the center area is occupied by a few tradition tables and chairs whose warm resin finish replicates an organic sensation that blends with the outer shell".
"We have used computer controlled lighting with a series of spotlights in the ceiling", he adds, "to focus strikingly on the tables and create a variety of motives and reflections on the floor".
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