MOTT32 | Joyce Wang Design

BRIEF
The restaurant tells the story of the basement of an important bank building in Hong Kong and how it has transitioned through the rich context of time. Once a leftover storage facility for Family heirlooms forgotten by wealthy Chinese immigrants; then a staff quarters for bank employees and guards; we imagined pieces of history left behind organically. The process of design was to unearth these clues layer by layer to expose an authentic narrative for the diners.

RESULT
The creative design concept – a blend of cliché-free industrial New York and classic Chinese décor –reflects imagined layers of Hong Kong’s political and social history with an inspired collection of forgotten heirlooms, Colonial-style furnishings and antique Chinese propaganda.

CHALLENGE
Located in the basement of a bank, the site itself is devoid of any sunlight or views to the exterior. With a lighting strategy both for lunchtime diners and evening diners, we created a different atmosphere and mood settings through lighting and skylight design. The accessibility of the site for diners was also a difficult issue to tackle. Having to snake through the bank building to access the restaurant, we turned this issue into an asset by creating a more hidden and exclusive arrival experience.