A former 1930s heritage building in Hangzhou is transformed into a restaurant and cocktail bar themed around three core elements of hotpot cuisine: fire, water, and steam.
STUDIO8 is the design force behind the remodelling of this historic villa built in 1939. Taking reference from the site's rich heritage and the culinary peculiarity of hotpot cuisine, the design team approaches the commission from a creative standpoint, transforming the cooking principle of hotpot into a unique museum-like culinary experience.
They re-evaluate the three-story structure and streamline its function areas to suit the current purpose of preparing hotpot cuisine and craft cocktails. The three key elements in hotpot – heat (fire), medium (water) and elevation of flavor (steam) – correlates with each floor in its function, materiality, texture and light.
