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LES MORILLES French Restaurant
By : Tanzo Space Design, Wang Daquan
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Restaurant ≤ 1,600 sq.ft. (≤ 500 sq. m.) : Gold Certification
Les Morilles, hiding in the office building by the Liangma River in Beijing, is an old French restaurant slightly larger than a living room, mainly dealing in authentic Paris cuisine.
In 2022, this French restaurant, which initially only wanted to build a gathering place for friends, has been upgraded. From the brand logo to the internal space, designer Wang Daquan has completed the internal space design in nearly a year. In the calm reflection of the Liangma River in Beijing, this French restaurant belongs only to this city.
Beijing LES MORILLES Restaurant is located at Yansha Business District and the bank of Liangma River. It was selected as two-diamond Black Pearl restaurant on YELP in 2021, 2020 and 2019, and the “Michelin Dining Plate Restaurant” in 2021 and 2020.
The building where Les Morilles is located formed around the same time as Beijing Yansha Building, which was built by German people. The original foundation, including the door and window structure, was good, but it also limited the space that can be changed.
When entering the corridor, your eyes would first adapt to the light that suddenly darkens and flows to your body. The arched ceiling overlaps with the twisting force on the top of your head, and the organic vibe three curved surfaces define the sculptural space shell. After seeing the twisting and folding inwards, the view suddenly changes and the scene changes to reach the dining area with classical style and oriental touch. Multiple groups of scenes are spliced internally, which is compact but keeps a sense of alienation. The glass curtain wall and the partition sliding door connect the space in a montage way, and the sense of belonging inspired by the randomness and strangeness of the city is implied in a dynamic logic.
Entering the private room, the style of the classical European palace is clear, and the integration of oriental symmetry and elegance makes the interior looks powerful. At the same time, after the re-planning, the debris space has been fully utilized. The refined construction has increased the capacity and space dimension – there is no spot for Instagram photos or seats that would be ignored easily, and every place has an appropriate view and atmosphere.
Lines and colors, surface and materials vary wonderfully at Les Morilles. Designers strictly selected colors and touch, and paying attention to whether the wear marks used for a long time would be appropriate. Although the space is new, it seems to be coming from ancient times.
On the facade, the artistic paint and wall cloth pull out layers; The black metal strip outlines the edge, forming rhythm with the thick and solid arc line angle. The soft skylight filtered by glass fills the restaurant, and the diners would feel a sense of simple modernity when they walk inside. Once they sit down, they would sink into the old retro scene, with proper privacy and no oppression.
During the reconstruction, the old building with smaller space has put forward many requirements for processing structure and dynamic, which also means accurate scale control. While it seems to be a design concept to integrate oriental interest into French restaurants, or to connect the spirits of two distant cities, the idea is powerful by connecting with emotion and other imagination, such as the concept of contemporary cuisine, emotional appeal to people, exploration of the city, etc., which together form a harmonious sense in this restaurant.
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