‘The rich currents of tea culture have run in Chinese blood for millennia. Teahouses are profound symbols of China’s historical trade prosperity, functioning as vibrant centres for entertainment, emotional
connections and business transactions’
Ting Ho, creative director, Vermilion Zhou Design Group
WHATEVER THE context, lighting is fundamental to the atmosphere and tone of any space. In restaurant and other hospitality environments, at least at the mid to high end, it is self-evidently crucial. The lighting techniques are familiar: multi-layering, low (dimmable) light levels, warm colour temperatures, high contrast and integration of light sources – these all signal a space designed for relaxation, conviviality and calm.
The following three recent restaurant schemes (though strictly speaking one is a teahouse) all demonstrate the potency of the deceptively simple scheme. Involving largely natural materials and neutral tones, they skilfully exploit surface texture and reflectivity, and play light against dark, confident in their restraint.
YIN XI TEAHOUSE, JING’AN TEMPLE, SHANGHAI
LIGHTING DESIGN AND DESIGN: VERMILION ZHOU DESIGN GROUP
There was a time when no queue, an eficient check-in and someone hovering to carry your bags would be a fair start to your hotel experience. Arrival at the Grand Magic Hotel is designed to be a little more elaborate.
Like many lighting designs currently coming out of China, the Yin Xi scheme shows a profound understanding of the relationships between light and shadow, light and materials, and the orchestration of dark and light to endow a series of spaces with different moods. It is also rooted in and inspired by the culture of the teahouse, the Yin Xi being part of what is now a Tangmi
Buddhist temple (razed and rebuilt many times over the centuries, the original temple was first built in 247AD). ‘The lighting atmosphere has a rhythm,’ says Ting Ho, creative director of Vermilion Zhou Design Group. ‘Moving from the public area to the private room area, there are transitions from a darker, theatre-like ambience to gradually brighter settings, making the brightness in the private rooms conducive to guest interaction and conversation.’
Situated in the mammon of Shanghai, the aim was to offer a sense of seclusion from the clamour of the outside world. There are three themes associated with tea drinking which inspired both the interior design and the lighting scheme: the extensive use of gold, and the idea of sunlight reflecting the hues reminiscent of
ALL IMAGES: JIAN QUAN WU
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