The Bund stretches, Yan’an East, Suzhou Creek, Baidu Bridge, Huangpu River, and the market that foreigners often visit ten miles long. This financial center of the whole country and even the Far East has experienced a century of vicissitudes, endowing the North Bund with the color of past and present. When I stand here and look far away, the openness at a glance, the flashy swaying cup, the calmness created by the space, the elegant and calm temperament, Jingcaixuan is as magnificent as pearls, how can crystal clear be self-admiration.
Discovery – Haiwan Building in Huangpu District, Shanghai, is located on the North Bund of the Golden Triangle, built in the 1990s, and Dijing Jingcaixuan Restaurant is located on the top floor of the building. The outer contour of the original building tower and spire structure is closed upwards like lotus petals and seems ready to bloom. The original glass curtain walls on the north and south sides of the top of the tower provide a transparent and wide view of the indoor environment, standing here you can have a panoramic view of Lujiazui and the Bund on both sides of the Huangpu River. There are many buildings on the Bund. After many searches, the owner finally loves the charming scenery here. For several years, we have been discussing suitable design solutions, and the two parties reached an idea, in the end, to make the beautiful things become a community. So it took three years to jointly build a new and upgraded flagship store of Jingcaixuan restaurant. As an upgraded version of Jingcaixuan series of restaurants, how to bring different noble luxuries and extraordinary experiences to guests? The best viewing location in Shanghai, is the “Jingcaixuan” restaurant, a banner in Shanghai’s catering industry with excellent products and service management. This is a crystal pearl, the plane of the river on the Bund is the section of Jingcaixuan, these supreme conditions are there for all to see, we believe that creating a wider and more transparent view is the core element of shaping the entire space.
Pondered – Since the building was built in the 1990s, both the exterior curtain wall and the interior steel frame structure are aging, so first we have to renovate the outdoor curtain wall and strengthen the steel structure floor, and replace the entire exterior aluminum curtain wall with new ones, in addition, the separation of the glass curtain walls on the north and south sides is enlarged, and more transparent insulating glass is used to reduce the obstruction of vision and achieve the requirement of maximizing space vision. There were originally four large flat floors in the room, which resulted in a slightly flat space, so three sets of the best viewing rooms were discarded and integrated to create a shared space. We connected the upper and lower spaces of the three floors as a whole, and the walls of the private rooms facing the shared area are all treated with transparent glass to ensure a transparent view of the entire interior space. A total of 180 square meters on the third floor was demolished, and it was used as a shared space to create a grand atmosphere. In the face of such a tall shared space, the physical distance of the design is cleverly used to make the guests yearn for the view, and the impulse to approach the glass curtain to view the view naturally. The borrowing of psychological distance, the introduction of physical distance, and the integration of the situation create beautiful scenery.
The viewing spiral staircase that runs through the entire space offers a bird’s-eye view of the Bund and a river. It is like a floating ribbon, dancing in it. The spiral staircase connecting the 29th to 31st floors is located in the center of the shared area, The stair surface is thin and light, the design is suspended in the air, the lines are simple and smooth, and the design uses glass railings to reduce the visual barrier. This is the focal point of the entire interior, and it has to be a sculpture, it has to be extremely accentuated, dramatic, and artistic. The viewing spiral staircase provides a richer space level for the entire interior, serves as a starting point, diverts part of the flow of people from the 29th to 31st floors of the restaurant, and standardizes the entire catering service process. The interaction among the scenery, objects and people is natural, harmonious, and orderly.
In the middle of the 30th-floor reception desk and the spiral staircase, there is a suspended sphere device, which is as magnificent and crystal clear as a pearl and complements the Oriental Pearl on the Bund. It is like the beautiful legend of the birth of Venus described by Botticelli. It is smart and mysterious, which arouses people’s reverie. The curtain wall glass on the north and south sides introduces natural light, making the indoor and outdoor scenery interact naturally, allowing guests to better experience the wonderfulness of Shanghai. The method of creating the indoor atmosphere is to use a large area of beige natural marble with a natural antique surface, embellished with a small number of logs, and all the indoor items are warm and subtle. It is not so colorful, and it does not compete with the outdoor scenery, and the atmosphere of the whole space remains elegant and peaceful. 11 private rooms are designed on the fourth floor to make it more spacious and open with the public area. The flow of people in the area is reduced, and the space environment is more peaceful, the overall space is very transparent, and the fusion of the glass curtain and the external environment forms a stronger atmosphere. The glass walls of the private rooms are equipped with electric soft gauze curtains to control the opening and closing, and the sense of ritual that is slowly lowered can freely grasp the private social needs.
Transition – The building has a total of 32 floors. The entrance of this case is located on the 27th floor, and the dining floor is on the top 29th to 32nd floors. Since the building is more than 30 years old, the environment of the public areas in the building feels relatively old and closed, mixed with a nostalgic atmosphere. How to deal with the transitional space of the entrance, which is the starting point of shaping the entire space, is self-evident. After careful investigation of the site and the overall environment experience, I think it is an inevitable and only choice to create an atmosphere with winding paths leading to secluded places and enchanting sights in springtime. Stepping into the entrance of the restaurant on the 27th floor, the landscape that is completely different from the environment of the original building comes into view. There are holes in the natural and rough stones. While strolling in the courtyard, the sound of the stream in the cave can be heard, and the fish are swimming and playing in shallow water. It is quiet and natural, and the surprises in the heart are like ripples. This is the modern theatrical version of Tao Yuanming’s “Ideal world”. The story is concise, smooth, and fascinating. The entrance and the pool area are treated with matt and rough stones, which are naturally axed to form this environment. The original rough stone cutting contrast, with a strong modern composition method, the bottom of the pool is made of small beige quartz, the environment is like a river with fine sand, the flowing water is still overflowing, and the mountain stream path is more secluded, where small fish and wild animals are interesting.
The special elevator for the restaurant can be booked and entered with the exclusive QR code, which is like entering a time tunnel. The elevator goes straight to the 30th floor, passing through the wine cellar corridor, and the sight suddenly opens up. Under the guidance of tall and exquisite waiters in plain and elegant white clothes, after lingering back and forth, you have entered the exclusive space of the guests. The corridor of the wine cellar is also the elevator transition section, and the space distance is deliberately elongated. The sense of slow motion is formed by the narrow length and depth; the sense of sight, taste, and hearing walks in it…Slowly penetrate into the mellow and rich dining atmosphere. Functional requirements and aesthetic requirements are perfectly unified.
North Shared Area – Different from the spacious and powerful sharing space in the south, the 29th to 32nd floors are built in the north, and the 4th floor is connected to the shared space. It adopts a loose and staggered plane layout, which is transparent and narrow. The design here is exquisite, and the light is used to create a rich and delicate structure, as the interlacing of multi-prism mirrors. In the complex and transparent structural environment, different corners can observe different scenery; The space composition can make the level of the public area of the whole project richer and create a stronger artistic atmosphere. More than 20 selected original works of contemporary art are scattered in the restaurant environment, and the creation of style enhances the artistic atmosphere of the entire interior. There are no fences or glass covers for the fine artworks so that the collection-level works of art can be tasted by distinguished guests at zero distance as if you are at home. Light up the living space with art and delicious food, the fragrance on the clothes and the hair on the sideburns reflect the graceful life, there is a degree of luxury between toasts.
Cigar Bar – The cigar bar gathers functions such as negotiation, leisure, reading, and wine tasting, this area is combined with the wood interspersed structure and rough stone, and strong visual symbols shape this area into a distinctive area. The design elements are slightly relaxed, but also make the whole restaurant more functional.
Bathroom – On the basis of modifying the original building structure, it is handled in a concise and clear way. The round washbasin tray suspended storage table, and sanitary ware is all designed after full communication and coordination. We consider more functional requirements, standardized management, and daily maintenance. It seems that there is not a lot of thought, but a large amount of blood has condensed.
Light the Night – When the night falls, the lights of the Bund and Lujiazui are reflected outside the window, and the bustling city has a panoramic view, this is the most important visual experience in the restaurant. Considering the lighting design, indoor lighting is designed to be soft and uniform lighting. While meeting the needs of dining, other decorative lights must be restrained so as not to affect the presentation of the outdoor scenery too much. To achieve the complementary extension of indoor and outdoor environments.
Architects: V2GETHER design
Lead Architect: Rui Zhao
Design Team: Fangyuan Liu, Longjun Li, Jingyun He, Zhibin Huang, Guanwei Ling, Qunying Qu, Wenjun Miao, Jierong Liang,Huangjing Luo
Photographs: Qidiao Wu