Located on the seventh floor of Swissotel Jakarta, The Chinese National is definitely not your typical Chinese restaurant.
Firstly, it offers diners not one, but four distinctive dining destinations.
Drawing inspiration from China’s four great inventions of papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass, the team at EDG Design transformed the space into a tea house by day and cocktail bar by night (Letterpress); a dumpling and noodle shop (Iron Needle); a Szechuan restaurant (Black Powder Red); and a luxury Cantonese roast duck venue (Paper Duck).
“It was vital that The Chinese National was positioned as an upscale F&B destination, with a freestanding restaurant spirit, despite being located within the hotel,” says Michael Goodman, Partner and Managing Director at EDG Design.
“Aside from ensuring that we utilised the space in a clever way that meant that while the venue as a whole was able to accommodate all guests over breakfast, it was also critical that these specialty venues didn’t compete with each other.
“Beyond interior design, we had to consider the strategic approach as well... We knew that one restaurant would never fill that many seats the rest of the day, but there was a huge demand for food in general.
“From there it was logical to create four different venues that spoke to four different types of guests and price points.”
DESIGNING FOR FLEXIBILITY
This story is from the Issue 118 edition of d+a.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 118 edition of d+a.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tailored For The Curious Explorer
The new Alma House at the New Bahru enclave reflects the collaborative spirit of a school environment.
Eco And Egalitarian
Can a building represent a culture? Berrel Kräutler Architekten's sensitive renovation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore stimulates discourse.
Building A Green Home
This semi-detached house by Zivy Architects explores passive tropical design, the delight in architecture and the issues of multi-generational living.
The Natural Balance
Inspired by the serene beauty of dewdrops, the Antao Collection by Villeroy & Boch transforms bathrooms into wellness sanctuaries, combining sustainability with timeless elegance.
Inspiring Creativity And Exploration
The new Hafary House at Lavender reflects the brand’s vibrancy and innovation, as well as provide an inspiring and engaging space for customers.
Home Is Where The Heart Is
A vacation house is reimagined for a multi-generational family to gather for holidays in the bucolic setting of Yongjia in Zhejiang, China.
balancing act: nature and humanity
In this inspiration-led series, we asked Jay Liu and Alex Liu, co-founders of Right Angle Studio, to dream up a unique interior concept using mainly items from Space Furniture.
rethinking, remaking, reframing
Aoki Akio, the founder of DESIGNART TOKYO discusses the importance and legacy of Tokyo's eminent art and design event, particularly for young creatives.
rebuilding communities
Shift2024, the much-anticipated conference returns with a stellar line-up of prolific architects making their mark in Asian urban design.
unparalleled italian craftsmanship
Filippo Arnaboldi, Chief Executive Officer of Frette, tells us how this luxury lifestyle Italian brand is moving forward with times yet not forgetting about its existing legacy.