He Yuan, a Taizhou cuisine restaurant, opened its second location without much publicity on the ground floor of Fengming International Building which is situated in No. 20 Fengsheng Hutong, an alley on the west side of Xidan North Street. Compared with the first location, the new restaurant is designed to accommodate more business scenarios due to its location on Beijing Financial Street, a core area in the west of Beijing. In its early opening, there were plenty of regular customers.

The bond between IN.X Space Design and He Yuan can trace back to 2020. The past three years is not only a run-in and refinement process for the designer Wu Wei and the space, but also a fast-developed period for Taizhou cuisine to be known. Foodies have changed from a beginner just following clues to find restaurants which serve fresh food to an“expert” familiar with a Taizhou folk song Yue Jie Yu Ming (Different names of seasonal seafood), “Baby croaker in lunar January. Mullet in February.” The level of foodies’ advancement is always amazing.

As a result, challenges occur to the space design: How to integrate local cuisines with the demands of modern business, and how to take advantage of space design to make diners have better experiences, aiming to explore more sincere and lasting emotional value for the brand.

01 Polyphony in the Space，Nature and Cities

The new location of He Yuan is in advantageous geography in Beijing. Situated in an area where Financial Street and Hutong are adjacent to each other, it can be said that the location is of great feng shui. This also means that the space is bound to meet dining needs of multiple attributes, referring to business, leisure, culture and others.

Based on searches in the urban vocabularies of Taizhou and Beijing, the space is a mixture of urban, natural, oriental and contemporary elements, which embodies great charm of polyphony - an integration of nature and cities, comforting people in cities from the past to the present.

The pioneering spirit of Taizhou is outlined by thick stone facades and old wooden planks in the space. A mixture of etched brass, mottled gray bricks, marble, and old wooden planks is a reflection of the ancient folk houses in regions south of the Yangtze River on the background of Shanghai. Stone base and wooden columns which once supported old buildings for thousands of years gradually become a history along with the new urban development. Their presence impresses viewers in this modern space which features simplicity. When evening lights are lit in the city, East and West are compatible in the space.

Time, scenery and styles converge in the space by design, which generates a progressive relationship in cultural significance. Memories and feelings are juxtaposed in the space so as to ferment a high density of emotions.

02 Emotional Values, The Ultimate Integration

The high-class experience of He Yuan mainly comes from its well-adjusted details and inclusive styles on the basis of integration. What’s more, sincerity and zeal also play to the space’s advantage.

From the well-illuminated wine cabinet inward, the scenes are presented layer by layer. Modern art is gently integrated into the plain background.  The mixing of materials deals with the structural problems skillfully, which incorporates the open area into a scenario where viewers can see different scenes while moving along. The distribution of seats also provides a variety of options for individual diners. The works from different cultures or eras enable the space to have a bigger picture.

The skillful setting of colors, light and material textures makes the compact space full but free from clutter. The precise control of boundaries further emphasizes the attributes and positioning of the restaurant.

Private dining rooms reinforce a smoother experience in respect of business scenarios, where the mid-century furniture and displayed artworks are in keeping with the integrated feature of the entire space.

Some people relive the hustle and bustle in Taizhou, while others live in Taizhou to get away from the mundane. The fusion of different elements in Taizhou is just like the taste of seawater, which is difficult to describe in one single word. The lyrics and melodies of “Linhai Cidiao" (a Chinese folk art form in Taizhou) portray the wind among wild mountains, the vastness of seas, and also the fickleness of mankind, all of which are incorporated into the taste of food and space design, contributing to the presence of He Yuan.

03 Strategy first, Design follows.

Similar to the chef modifying the taste of dishes, design shapes the space, both of which are keeping pace with the changes of the city where the dishes originate.

For He Yuan, the double helix gene found in the design refers to Beijing and Taizhou, East and West, business and leisure. When diners enjoy meals, the space is no longer just a name card of fine food, but also enables diners to reach the peak of their emotions and experiences at a certain moment by its integration with food.