Imafuku Architects' Dongshang: A Fusion of Japanese and Chinese Aesthetics

Award-winning restaurant design blends traditional materials and innovative architecture

The client's vision was to create a Japanese-style venue that also expressed elements of Chinese culture. To achieve this, Yuichiro Imafuku, the designer behind the project, used traditional materials with strong connections to the arts and crafts of both countries. The walls and ceilings of the restaurant are covered in these materials, creating an intimate environment that evokes the feeling of dining within a bamboo grove.

Dongshang is located in Beijing's central business district and offers a wide selection of sake and Japanese whisky. The main dining area is surrounded by bamboo strips fixed by brass nails on the walls. Above the tables, a transparent canopy made of bamboo sticks is suspended, further enhancing the sense of intimacy. The use of bamboo in various forms and sizes is a key feature that distinguishes Dongshang from other restaurants.

The restaurant is clad in bamboo combined with other dominant materials such as brass, terrazzo, granite stone, and steel. The bar counter features light grey artificial marble and terrazzo with brass strips. Illuminated liquor bottles are displayed on 3mm thick plate shelves made of black steel at a backbar featuring vertical bamboo louvers. These design elements contribute to the contemporary feel of the restaurant while maintaining a connection to traditional aesthetics.

The design process for Dongshang began in February 2018 and was completed in June of the same year. The project was inspired by the history of planting and using bamboo in Japan and China, which can be traced back 8,000 years. Bamboo symbolizes the anti-urban philosophy in the Chinese classic story, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The natural healing power of bamboo offers guests a calming experience and brings people together, similar to the ancient narrative. Because of its high growth rate, strength, and cost-effectiveness, bamboo is also one of the most distinctive material solutions of sustainable design in Asia.

Dongshang invites guests on a story of traditional design motifs and crafting techniques of Japan and China, while embracing the classical aesthetics through the assemblage of bamboo and other natural materials. The fine dining destination is not just a restaurant or bar but an experience of dining within a bamboo grove. This unique approach to restaurant design earned Dongshang the Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2019, a prestigious accolade awarded to designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation.