PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

Project: Forest-Garden Japanese restaurant
Project Type: Interior Design Project
Address: Beijing
Project Scale: 230㎡
Designer: Liu Xinpeng
Unearthing Corner Spaces to Create a Forest Theme
This project is a high-end Japanese cuisine dining space. Surrounded by high-rise office buildings with high population density and scarce green space, we decided to create an upscale dining space with plant landscapes as the main feature, providing guests with a space experience akin to dining in a forest.
The original space of this project has several disadvantages. Firstly, the dining space is located on the second floor, which requires guests to climb stairs from the first floor .Typically, people are reluctant to climb stairs to dine. Additionally, the entire space is only 230 square meters, which is tight and fragmented. For a space themed around green plant landscapes to have a distinct character, the scale of the plant landscape cannot be too small. However, the space in this project is not only small in area but also has a low ceiling height, with the eastern private room area having a height of only 2.2 meters and the main hall 2.5 meters, and there are many equipment pipelines. Therefore, it is necessary to comb the space, unearth every inch that can be utilized, and also solve the problem of attracting people to the second floor. After research, we decided to use a three-dimensional greening method, utilizing walls and ceilings that do not involve operational functions.
After careful consideration, we decided to adopt a three-dimensional greening approach, utilizing the remaining spaces such as walls and ceilings that do not involve operational functions to arrange plant landscapes. We transformed the stairwell wall into a rich variety of plant walls, allowing people to enjoy the plants while unknowingly walking upstairs. At the same time, we created a rainforest scene on the other side of the stairwell to further enrich the landscape at the stair entrance. Ultimately, within the small space of just over 200 square meters, we designed six different forms of plant landscapes:, vertical garden, rainforest scenes, desktop water features, hanging plants, and planting box. The total area of plant landscapes reaches 68 square meters, while the ground only occupies 10 square meters. Most of plants are arranged on walls or in the air, without occupying ground space.
Using Green and eco-friendly materials to create a low-carbon environment.
This project features a plant landscape as its main attraction, with a large number of living plants, over 60 varieties and more than 3,000 plants. This not only creates a comfortable and pleasant dining environment but also establishes an indoor small forest capable of absorbing carbon dioxide.
Additionally, wooden materials are extensively used for tables, cabinets, countertops, floors, and walls to evoke an overall forest atmosphere. As we all know, wood has a natural carbon sequestration property, and it is estimated that 1 cubic meter of wood can absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide. Moreover, wood processing consumes less energy compared to other materials. After the landscape is dismantled, the wood can be reused or chipped into wood shavings to be used as garden or compost material, continuing its cycle of use.
The concept of "changing scenery with every step" enhances spatial quality
Although the interior space of the restaurant is relatively small, the interspersed greenery breaks the original sense of confinement and dullness. We have designed different landscapes in various areas such as the entrance, bar counter, stair corners, main hall, semi-private areas, and private rooms, achieving the effect of changing scenery with every step. Particularly in the small private room area, where the ceiling height is only 2.2 meters and there is no natural lighting, it can be quite oppressive. Therefore, we borrowed the traditional Chinese garden technique of "framed views" and opened a large interior window on the wall of the small private room facing the stairwell. Through the transparent large glass, the beautiful scenery of the rainforest and the plant wall in the stairwell is brought into the room, instantly resolving the sense of narrowness and oppression in the indoor space. This instantly alleviates the sense of narrowness and oppression within the room. The small private rooms, due to their strong privacy and the best viewing positions, have become the most sought-after spaces in the restaurant, often fully booked.