Pu Zao Restaurant: A Unique Blend of Tradition and Innovation

Designer Xu Xujun Crafts a Dining Experience Inspired by Water and Local Landscape

At the core of the restaurant's design is the idea of water, a concept that Xu Xujun stumbled upon by chance. Water is essential to life and, by extension, to food. This realization led to the unique idea of creating a dining environment that resembles a boat, a concept that breaks away from traditional restaurant designs and holds a special meaning in the field of design.

The restaurant's design features a large boat suspended from the ceiling, a creative solution to the challenge of integrating the bulky air conditioner pipe and complex pipelines into the design. This boat in the air not only wraps the pipes but also becomes a beautiful scenery in the air, echoing the boat on the ground. The design also includes staggered floors on both shores, creating the illusion of a natural water surface.

The Pu Zao Restaurant is not just about aesthetics; it also offers a unique dining experience. The restaurant can accommodate many diners when open, but when there are fewer diners, the boat can be divided into three separate tables by flexible ropes. This flexibility in space planning makes the dining experience interesting and full of changes.

The restaurant's design also pays homage to the local landscape. The mud wall terraced fields on both shores, the elevated dining area on mountain cableways, and the rough granite handrail all reflect and fit the theme perfectly. The overall design creates a space with a great contrast of romantic feeling and primitive simplicity.

For his innovative design, Xu Xujun was awarded the Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018. This prestigious award is given to designs that exhibit outstanding expertise and innovation, strong technical characteristics, and splendid artistic skill. The Pu Zao Restaurant certainly fits the bill, offering a dining experience that is as much about the environment as it is about the food.