Type / Commercial
Time / 2015
Client / Judy’s Sichuan Cuisine
Status / Under Construction
Contractor / Spacemakers, Inc.
Mural Design / Yizhi Xu

Judy’s Sichuan already enjoyed a reputation as “Best Chinese Restaurant” in Virginia, as rated by Yahoo Food 2015. But this wasn’t enough for the owner. She also wanted to challenge the stereotypical views of Chinese restaurant décor to introduce a sophisticated and original dining destination. The redesigned restaurant functions as a “learning” device to foster the concept of “Seeking Taste of Chuan,” which helps customers, especially those unfamiliar with Chinese food culture, to better understand the cuisine, culture and customs behind the restaurant concept.

“Seeking the Taste of Chuan” can be understood in a broader sense as a process of learning Chinese food culture. GARC utilized the restaurant’s role as a cultural agent by offering opportunities for learning through themed design elements such as colors, murals and graphics. The effect succeeds at enriching diners’ experience with Chinese cuisine and culture. Spatially to achieve all of the sensory and educational goals of this project, the restaurant is arranged into four themed spaces- “Learning of Taste" (main dining), “Learning of Object" (bar), “Learning of Style" (private dining), and “Learning of Anecdote" (support spaces).

Construction

The concept unfolds at three levels. First, it directly relates to rich experience and delicious taste of varied dishes and entrées the restaurant serves. Second, as the integral visual representation of the “taste,” the new interior design elements such as color, mural, and cultural symbols, enrich people’s feeling of Chinese food culture while they are waiting, dining, and drinking. Third, it relates to the distinct atmosphere of family dining style in a traditional Chinese courtyard. The motif of abstract profiles of partially opened traditional doors, is applied to both the murals and decorative wood screens, creating an intriguing visual illusion by merging the virtual into the real spaces. 


Before & After