Monique Lee's "Soda Port": A Harmonious Blend of Macau's Unique Chinese-European Culture

Award-Winning Restaurant Design Embraces Macau's Cultural Heritage and Modern Innovation

The design concept of Soda Port is deeply rooted in Macau's unique cultural heritage. The interior layout is designed to encourage interaction, allowing visitors and staff to communicate without barriers. Diners are not just eaters, but also the audience of the chef's culinary skills. This inviting atmosphere is a representation of Macau's culture, welcoming tourists from all over the world to experience its world of diversity, colours, food, and entertainment.

What sets Soda Port apart from other designs is its incorporation of Macau's unique architectural relics as key design elements. The interior space is furnished with elements of the cultural heritage of Ruínas de São Paulo, Senado Square, Portuguese style tiles, church stained glass, and other vintage materials. These elements reveal Macau's unique Chinese-European colonial history.

The realization of this design involved a combination of modern metallic and traditional construction materials. In the dining hall, the pattern of Flagstone Street of Senado Square is reproduced in marble stones. Meanwhile, the epitome of historic Ruínas de São Paulo is recreated in modern metal. Against it is a feature wall built with traditional Portuguese blue-white tiles.

The design of Soda Port is not just about aesthetics, but also functionality. It highlights Macau as a hospitable city, with the design concept incorporating an interactive mode. The fine-dining compartment is an open kitchen bar while the kitchen in the main dining hall is visible through glass panels. So guests are both diners and audience of chefs' culinary skills.

Designing Soda Port was not without its challenges. The wall in the 'TATO' is decorated with wooden pillars to create a relief effect. To achieve sound insulation function, suede material is mounted onto each pillar manually. For best air quality in the open kitchen context, ventilation pipes are set on the pillar. Several drawings are made for production, installation and final visual effect. Achieving ceiling design was another challenge. Aluminum planks of various sizes were made to incorporate amplifiers, lighting systems and complete the pattern.

Monique Lee's Soda Port is a testament to the power of design in encapsulating and promoting a city's unique culture. It is a design that not only provides a dining experience but also serves as a platform to showcase Macau's rich cultural heritage to the world.