At Shè restaurant, food, fashion and people come together in an elegant oasis
Mesa Nopakun, of Bangkok-based studio Dot Line Plane, talks about designing the contemporary Chinese restaurant located inside the Lane Crawford store in IFC Mall, Central
The challenges
It is a compact, narrow interior, so it was a challenge to balance the light and mood between the indoors and outdoors, particularly because we were restricted in what we were allowed to do. We also had to design around the existing kitchen.
The solutions
The seating capacity was maximised using custom-design booth seats. The food is presented tapas-style, with some dishes served tableside on a vintage trolley, so we didn’t need to provide large tables. We offset the compact space with bright colours and a rich mix of marble, fine wood on the walls and bar counter, copper metal and a terrazzo floor. On the terrace, we focused on landscaping, which will be added to over time to reinforce the sense of being surrounded by nature.
The theme
The metal cages suspended from the ceiling are inspired by the shape of a classic Chinese roof, and the curve of the bar is simple and modern yet still feels oriental. We introduced red in a more fashionable way, replacing the traditional bright Chinese hue with a smoky marsala red. Various shades of green make the space cosy and intimate, and reflect the theme of a sanctuary. Materials used throughout, such as jade, green onyx and satin copper, offer a glimpse of the Orient.
The takeaway
Thai illustrator Terawat Teankaprasith, of projecttSTUDIO, was commissioned to create a graphic botanical wall. Instead of printing it onto a canvas that needs to be stretched, we printed it on a wallpaper-quality roll so it was easy and quick to install.
