The architects were given a historic villa from 1939 to turn into a hotpot restaurant. Referencing the richness of the site’s heritage and the culinary peculiarity, the design concept takes an abstract approach, transforming hotpot’s cooking principle into a unique museum-like experience. STUDIO8 reevaluated the three-story structure and streamlined its function areas to suit the current use. The three key elements in hotpot – heat (fire), medium (water) and elevation of flavor (steam) were respectively correlated to each floor in function, materiality, texture and light. They named the restaurant “GUD” after the historical name for hotpot in 220 AD – “GuDong pot”, like the sound of boiling soup.