Art and architecture can be powerful forces when it comes to enhancing the dining experience; and when the two disciplines are combined in the right way the results can be spectacular, as this new restaurant in China demonstrates. Designed by Hong Kong architecture studio Cheng Chung Design (CCD) within a structure composed as a land art-esque installation by local Yunnan Province artist Luo Xu – 50% Cloud, as the restaurant is named – is certainly a departure from the norm.
The project sits within one of a series of distinctive termite mound shaped domes that form a whole area in the city of Dongfengyun. CCD worked on an interior that embraces the organic shapes and flowing red brick character of Luo Xu’s art; but embedded Art Deco references and contemporary tones to enhance functionality and convert the space to a modern restaurant’s needs.
‘The building looks like a mega art installation and half of a cloud that undulates in the sky,’ say the architects. ‘It features solid facades, curved contours and volumes set at staggering heights.’ The team worked with the structure’s original red brick material, which has been locally produced and blends in easily with the surrounding nature – other materials were kept to a minimum, to respect the building’s original intention and purity.
Skylights bring in natural light that filters down the soft clay walls and adds to the restaurant’s atmosphere. Dramatic curved lines and vaults are contrasted gently but contemporary furnishings to create a playful environment for the guests.
The restaurant sits within an area of similar structures that form part of a wider installation by Luo Xu. The brick art complex also includes a multi-function hall, an art gallery and a hotel, whose interior is also created by CCD. §
