Charbon by Paul Pairet
Charbon, a restaurant in Shanghai, features an open charcoal fire and sizzling skewers, creating a restrained and peaceful dining ambiance through subdued light and shadow, completed by JY Design Practice.
Charbon is a new restaurant opened by the three Michelin stars chef Paul Pairet in the iapm mall, Shanghai. Charbon is a French word that means “charcoal grill” and the restaurant features an open charcoal fire and sizzling skewers.
As a result, JYDP avoided complicated design expressions and envisioned the space in a retreated method. By excavating the commercial value of the restaurant from the perspective of operators and feeling the comforts of space from the perspective of consumers, JYDP followed the features of French charcoal grilling and adopted the imagery of five elements to create restrained and peaceful dining vibes through subdued light and shadow, natural grain and metal texture.
Deconstructing and following the fundamental five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, JYDP explored the original taste of food. With “reverse” thinking, the design team considered and discussed the use of materials repeatedly, and this kind of repeat deliberations are injected into the ultimate vigorous and luxurious vibes.
The calm and serene entrance is set off by the white lights around, where the logo of Charbon, dark carbonized bricks and rectangular slabs are arranged on the dark and warm rustic metal panel in a rational tone. The curved metal facade points out the dining area, which shows the interior and maintains transparency while creating a subtle sense of partition.
Metal finishes wrap the interior space vertically and horizontally, in which the rustic panels convey the traces of time. With skillful ingenuity, the dark wooden backdrop responds to the restaurant vibes after several color tests and surface brushing, forming a contrast with the concrete floor and reflecting the natural delicacy and the vigor of charcoal grilling.
The staircase leads to the second floor alongside a large area of a carbonized brick wall. After washing, the wall appears to be darker ink black under the reflection of the ceiling light.
The texture combination of metal, wood, water and earth, along with the dim and warm lighting design, creates a penetrating and neat dining environment to enhance the sense of ritual for patrons.
To meet with the positioning of a charcoal grilling restaurant, the design team burnt the customized walnut wood tables, and the carbonized tabletop surfaces are gradually peeling. Although the life span of the tables becomes shortened, they are direct visual expressions of vigorous roughness.
The success of a restaurant lies in standing in line with the patrons’ minds. Different from barbecue stalls in the streets and alleys or sidewalk booths on noisy nights, Charbon breaks the stereotype of grill restaurants and rebuilds a new dimension of casual open-fire grilling among cooking aromas, creating a profound dining experience for patrons.
Design: JY Design Practice
Design Team: Michelle Sun, Leah Li
Photography: Ratti Liu
