Restaurant M11 Huayang by Linkchance Architects in Changzhou, China

Project: Restaurant M11 Huayang
Architects: Linkchance Architects
Location: Qintang, Changzhou, China
Area: 4,843 sq ft
Year: 2022
Photos by: Jin Weiqi, Linkchance Architects

Restaurant M11 Huayang by Linkchance Architects

Restaurant M11 Huayang is located in the second phase of Kinglong, in Changzhou city, Jiangsu Province. M11 is a place for dining, meeting friends and relaxing in an elegant modern interior.

Design Principles

Architectural Dialogue

Just three meters from the western edge of the site stands a two-story detached building, whose interior space represents a traditional private dining room in Changzhou, managed by the senior members of the restaurant's owner family. The two restaurants, one Chinese and one Western, coexist on the same street, creating an implicit aesthetic dialogue between generations – with their contrasting styles and interior concepts.

Spatial Structure

Despite the presence of numerous structural columns in the interior design, their overall layout is regular and neat, allowing them to be integrated into space with a unique sense of order. The overall concept of the interior design is inspired by traditional Arab culture, whether it be the endless beauty of arabesque architectural patterns and decorations, the sophistication of Eastern dance or the harmony of Arab music. Their immortal aesthetic beauty arises from a balance between fluid rhythms and elegant sense of order.

The target audience for Restaurant M11 includes young, independent modern women from Changzhou. The conceptual hints of the interior's gentle strength and elegant lines align with the core principles of arabesque beauty – bringing a sense of order, balance and beauty to everyone who visits.

Challenges

The space presented numerous challenges for designers: how to deal with the many existing columns, lack of natural light on site and technical issues regarding the realization of thin surfaces resembling eggshells around restaurant tables; all this required creative solutions to create a unique atmosphere for M11.

Atmosphere

The main space of M11 develops around an Eastern aesthetic style, with the central feature being an arabesque arch used in modular design, which provides greater lightness and construction efficiency as well as strong visual structure and tension.

The main entrance is located to the left of the bar, allowing staff to address all customers in the space. The most notable element of the bar is a custom-designed light fixture consisting of several illuminated oval 'shelves' 1.5 cm thick, which appear to float above the head.

Four round counters are positioned opposite the bar, with clusters of tropical plants between them to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Designers also created two partially enclosed spaces covered in eggshell-style fabric – several openings allow the inner space to flow into the rest of the restaurant, providing strong visual connection with the main area while offering clients seated there a sense of privacy.

Designers faced difficulties in implementing these shell-like barriers, as they are only 1 cm thick but ultimately have sufficient strength to perform their function. Their overall form somewhat contrasts with the rest of the space, yet they follow the same aesthetic style and add another nuance to the restaurant's atmosphere.

The interior walls are simply and elegantly adorned with soft light, which comes indirectly through strips of LED lights hidden behind arches and oval openings in the thin partitions installed 8 cm from the main walls.

High-strength decorative concrete was used for the floor, providing a color palette and patterns perfectly matching other elements in the space.

Custom-made chandeliers made from translucent acrylic offer pleasant directed lighting throughout the restaurant, as well as an attractive sculptural appearance that seems to change with movement through the interior.

In line with Changzhou's local climate, the space is decorated with tropical green plants to create a natural atmosphere of lightness and relaxation.

Conclusion

Restaurant M11 is an interior design inspired by and composed of immortal elements of arabesque, assembled together to create a sense of order and flow, strength of form, memories of time, nature and beauty. It is a place where people can meet, feel comfortable and enjoy the '11 delicacies of life'.

- Project description and images provided by Current-Newsire

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