minggu design installs bamboo canes as visual guides in chinese eatery

situated on a local street in china, ‘bamboo’s eatery’ by minggu design is imagined as a kind of dissipative architecture, a bamboo-made vessel that redefines the spatial order of restaurants. upon reaching the entrance or simply by catching a glimpse of the eatery from across, visitors are met with an impressive three-floor façade covered in long bamboo spreads. this clear-cut feature hints at the unique architectural language developed within the restaurant. 

architectural façade of the restaurant entrance

minggu design has sculpted the interiors with a sense of navigational wonder by using the bamboo spreads as guiding points. indeed the linear extension at the main doorway breaks into a horizontal distribution that purposefully leads customers to the tea break area on the first floor. this space is embroidered with a homogenous latitude that restrains the area, hence forming a semi-space. tea sets are set alongside the bamboo fence to develop a continuous two-party relation. this feature ultimately comes to define the core function of the first level: the garden fence. meanwhile, the sticks rotate yet again into a lateral extension that connects the bar to the service area — ultimately leading to the elevator going up the second floor.

the garden fence is defined the core function on the ground floor

the walkway to level two is connected by staircases cladded with steel plates, attempting to keep a partially cool setting when interacting with a warm atmosphere. but essentially, it stands as a narrative that sets a sensation of independence right before going into another room. the tea break area on this floor is strategically placed next to windows for visual harmony. a part of the southern space is segmented into tea seats and an elevator lobby by applying interweaving bamboo arrays, horizontally and perpendicularly. the latter extend ti the east, only to end at the restroom zone by lifting up the water tank.

overview of the bamboo’s eatery at the entrance

all rooms of the third floor combine into a free-running teahouse, east and west. in addition, a walkway centralizes the entire level — making a slight turn on the north and south. a ‘thatched cottage’ architecture stands there, with its eaves hanging down and bamboo windows raised up from the inside out. in the long and narrow corridor, natural light is introduced to create a walking experience bathed in tranquil exploration. finally, combining the gridded bamboo fence with daylight filtering, an overlap of shadows provide temporary darkness to the space.

staircases are cladded in steel plates to offer a sense of ‘cooling’ against the warm atmosphere

the washroom on the second floor, where water flows through bamboo-made tubes

tea break area on the second floor is placed next to the windows for visual harmony

teahouse on the third floor is set as a more intimate meeting space

visual intersection on the third floor corridor 

 
the walkway centralizes the entire space of the third floor

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edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom