Original Chicken Restaurant
NATURE TIMES ART DESIGN worked to complete the Original Chicken Restaurant with a tension between many opposing elements.
Original Chicken is a mid- and high-end Chinese catering brand that has almost 20 years of history. With consistent dedication to ingredient sources, the brand has pioneered a whole-chain standard of “farm to table” in Chinese fast food sector. It by far has more than 800 restaurants, and its first restaurant in South China is sited in Shenzhen, a young and energetic garden city. The design of this restaurant responds to the brand’s philosophy of providing ecological and organic food, and draws inspiration from nature and soil.
Located at the corner of the ground floor of an iconic commercial complex in Futian CBD, Shenzhen, the restaurant features the theme of “returning to farm” and explores an experimental reform of traditional Chinese food experience. The designers adopted a low saturated color palette extracted from soil, and applied it to interior surfaces made of natural materials like soil, wood, stone, cotton and hemp, in a hope to lead a new, healthy and sustainable lifestyle and guide people in the bustling city to follow their heart.
The facade is mainly soil red and embedded with metal grilles and massive transparent glass, revealing a sense of freedom and lightness. The outdoor seating area and the lovely green garden fit into the local hot climate, welcoming people of all ages with a friendly gesture.
The overall design shows the collision yet coordinated integration between city and farm, red and green, curves and straight lines, the simple and the sophisticated.
A self-service system is introduced into the 300 square meters interior space, where double circulation routes separate the self-serve area and the dining area invisibly. Orderly rammed earth partitions set a gentle and simple spatial tone, and meanwhile bring a warm ambience full of hometown love to this migrant city.
The glass windows at the ordering area reveal the natural texture of shoji paper, which becomes flexible after modernized treatments. The menus hung from the window are written in calligraphy, demonstrating the traditional charm in Eastern cultures.
The overall design of the space strengthens visualization. Old wood with mortise-and-tenon joints, straw-made art installations, sophisticated hand-crafted details, dynamic electronic screens and interesting Chinese-style illustrations create a synthesis of different factors, and complete a spatial narrative about rice culture to convey the idea of simplicity in Chinese farming culture to urban people.
Modern, concise design languages are combined with the philosophy of providing simple and organic foods, which produces a brand new image and experience different from traditional fast-food restaurants.
24-hour operation of the restaurant breeds a more casual urban lifestyle, which is reflected in the space itself. The innovative combination of functions including fast food, afternoon tea and bar strengthen its connection with the city, reach a balance between fast-paced life and leisure, and also provide guidance for diverse social contact and lifestyles.
The design covers aspects including graphic visualization, spatial structures, and scene creation that incorporates emotions and aesthetics. It eventually reinforces the brand’s concept of emphasizing experience and socializing, and restores trust between people and city, people and food and among people themselves.
Design: NATURE TIMES ART DESIGN
Design Team: Wei Jinjing, Wei Yaocheng, Zhang Huichao, Guan Haoyuan
Contractor: YCWORK
Photography: Qin Zhaoliang
