We are always on the look out for projects that engage the imagination through their design and architecture. This can mean integrating state-of-the-art technology or it can be a simple, but original twist in conventional methods. In the case of Tang Palace, a new restaurant in Hangzhou, China, the architecture firm Atelier FCJZ relied on traditional Chinese material to reshape the large top-level hall in a downtown shopping mall.
The architects took advantage of the height of the room, 9 meters, to create interesting spatial effects. A semi-transparent weave of bamboo defines the walls and ceiling of the first level dining area. Its form is continuous and wavy so that it encourages a playful sense of boundary that is not usually afforded by planar enclosures. The material and the weaving pattern of the partition reference traditional Chinese practice, but utilize it in a very contemporary mode of design that strives to undue normal spatial boundaries.
While designing the restaurant, Atelier FCJZ had to find some way to deal with a large column in the middle of the room, as well as several smaller ones. In order to overcome the heavy presence of the central concrete column, they built a bamboo light box around it. This central light box infuses the room with the glowing color of the material that is used to shape the space. By illuminating the bamboo, the designers also find another way to incorporate the dialogue between tradition and modernity in the dining area.
The second level of the Tang palace is comprised of small private dining rooms suspended from the ceiling. Between them is a network of walkways that allow diners to look out over a sea of woven bamboo. A transparent wall encloses each of the upper-level dining rooms, adding another unusual element to the guest’s sense of space. In their statement about the design process, Atelier FCJZ claim they wanted to create “interrelated interior spaces through the different usages of the new bamboo material, responding to the local culture while seeking intriguing spatial effects.” This relationship between different spaces appears most dramatic from the second level. Where the suspended dining rooms meet the woven bamboo, it appears as if though they were resting on top them and creates a sense weightlessness. This accentuates the relationship between different interior spaces that the architects are suggesting; the woven bamboo acts like both floor and ceiling because of its transparency and relation to upper and lower dining areas.
With that said, there is no denying that the design is doing plenty of work at the Tang Palace. As for the meals, we can only hope that they satisfy more than just the imagination.
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