SteamRhino Tiannamen Brewery | Manuel Navarro Zornoza

Bars dedicated to the enjoyment of German, Irish or Austrian craft beer are often places with excessive decoration designed to evoke their countries of origin, instead of representing the nature of beer itself. In these places, decoration makes direct reference to countries in a way that could be considered folkloric. As a breath of fresh air, SteamRhino delivers an atmosphere directly related to beer through features such as materiality, texture and color.

SteamRhino is home of an inspiring Chinese brewing company. Main production takes place in Hebei Province, but the flagship store is located at the heart of the capital of China, by Qianmen Street, a historic area on the south side of the iconic Tiananmen Square. Located on the third level of a group of commercial buildings, the space comprises 280 m2.

The shape and color of its fermentation tanks inspired a golden metallic mesh that envelops walls and ceilings, creating a unique sensory experience for diners. In fact, the mesh’s shape follows the geometry of the tanks. Its smooth curves create an inverted vaulted ceiling that hides all the ventilation, air conditioning, sound and lighting equipment installed between the slab and the metal mesh. The mesh is also used to create vertical partitions between different areas, descending from the ceiling in a sequence of stepped layers.

The entrance, the VIP lounges, the terrace, the semi-private rest areas and the central hall are designed with a limited range of materials: golden metallic mesh, cherry wood and dark bamboo wood, and leather. On the other hand, soils are defined in two areas: corridors with cherry wood planks and seating areas with tiles.

The selection of materials is an abstract interpretation inspired by the tonalities of craft beer.

The furniture follows the range of colors used on floors, walls and ceilings, creating a unitary image. Like beer itself, SteamRhino is designed as a single recognizable image that also presents a wide variety of details and variations.