Supa Fama - 宏发大厦 | Shelle 小燕

The goal of this restaurant is simple - create a secret garden in a concrete jungle.

Located in one of the biggest financial hubs of Guangzhou, the surrounding district is a conglomerate of high rise towers, arterial roads and perpetually busy masses. Supa Fama, although on the 2nd floor of a shopping mall, is designed in a way that makes it feel like an outdoor garden, calm and tranquil, bright and green, hidden from the hustle and bustle. A reprieve. Even if just for a one hour lunch break, it is a place to reset.

In order to do this, we first looked at garden layouts, and how to capture the sense of wandering. The total area of the resaurant over 1000sqm, so we wanted to break this down into smaller spaces, like walking around pockets of garden beds. We placed elements such as the bar and private dining rooms in the center of the dining space, and treated them as garden structures. The bar is dressed as a shed, and the private rooms are glass-encased greenhouses. These structures obstruct visibility and direct guests to follow the paths around to find other areas.

Next, we looked at the quality of daylight available to us. Being North facing, we had no direct light, so we kept the space along the window side open to maximise the amount of daylight entering the space. Arched window frames and plant shelves run the length of the restaurant, to achieve that filtered light feeling during lunchtimes.

Our material palette plays a pivotal role in bringing the garden to life. It is a combination of both indoor and outdoor materials, focusing on texture and pattern.

Floor materials are used to guide people to their tables. Grey terrazzo tiles form paths around the clusters of tables, which sit on green floral patterned tiles. While in other areas, slate stepping stones meander across pale grey microplaster.

Reclaimed timber is used extensively, as wall panelling and vaulted ceilings. The richness in it's natural tones not only recalls farmhouse aesthetics, but brings warmth and cosyness to the space.

Lastly, we couldn't create a garden without plants. Plenty of plants. Throughout the whole space, there are potted, hanging, hydro and air plants. Gardening tools accompany them, along with features such as wheel barrow planters, timber benches, and a fountain enclosed in a brick pond sitting at the front entrance. Its visual presence and the sounds of splashing water instantly set the scene, transporting guests into the calm serenity.