The ambiance is a very important factor in fine dining but for the guests who enter the XU JI Seafood Restaurant (Land Kylin) from the 4th floor of W Hotel, Changsha, Hunan province, China, the experience is certainly unique and tailored to this restaurant. As guests enter, the light dims and they will “follow the light to enter, from the jungle to the deep ocean”. When reaching the central area, the light floats which is from the giant curved LED screen on the top and dyes the surroundings. Guests can see the whole picture of the restaurant here.
The designer here has gone in for a fragmented and de-symbolized strategy and the structures and materials along with the layout collides which results in the designer creating many montage spaces with different sizes and states albeit connected with each other.
The golden wine house which is inspired by the tea room, has classical and modern styles, covering functions such as reception and tasting. Baozhang Sun, the magistrate of Henan in the Qing Dynasty, said ‘Fishes swim across the pine shadows in the pond like they’re on the tree. Horses gallop on the scholar tree shadows on the ground like they’re on the branches.’ This has been taken as an inspiration for the light reflection and the transmission.
There has also been a user of the mirror but that does not make space lose its sense of individuality. There are also reflective materials used in the restaurant dining hall and the scenery increases the feeling of space. You can also see fish swim across in the LED screen. Once you walk inward there is a tea tasting area in the box, where the dinners can take a short break before and after the meal. Upon opening the sliding door, the dining table is set with wine and delicacies.
You can see the scenery outside in the lounge next to the other large box. Further on, there are decorative paintings of silk scarves on the walls. Here the diners can choose to mediate after the banquet. There is a central island theme as the center of the restaurant while a bar counter function is reminiscent of the current lifestyle. This showcases how the western-style expression has incorporated into the Chinese rhythm. With a project are of 1,256 ㎡, the XU JI seafood restaurant is bursting with a radical architectural design with a visual them encompassing the past and the present.
