Voisin Organique Restaurant & Lounge in Shenzhen, China by Various Associates.

Set in the Upper Hills luxury development in Shenzhen, China, Various Associates have completed the farm-to-table Voisin Organique restaurant and lounge. Integrating age-old Chinese cuisine with a fine-dining approach, the restaurant uses only ingredients sourced from its own ECOCERT-certified farm. The interior draws on earthy, classic aesthetics to reflect the restaurant’s food ethos.

The interior encompasses a 100sqm kitchen, lounge and fine dining area. A towering bronze façade shields diners from glaring sunlight, while a row of portal windows triggers the curiosity of passersby. The light that filters through the portals makes the dark interior feel otherworldly. Site conditions include height differences, dark corners and a giant structural pipe. These elements, combined with the restaurant’s brand values and pursuit of a ‘natural’ environment, led the designers to land on the central concept of ‘having a picnic in a valley’.

“The interior space was approached based on the concept of ‘wandering in valleys’, indicating a free exploration in wild nature,” explain Various Associates.

A large flue that cannot be dismantled sits in the double-height entrance space. The designers embraced it as a feature, with the fire resistant material that wraps the flue creating a glittering effect across the walls. Diners step into a low space, with ceiling height varying from low to high in a sequence that emulates a valley between steep hills. Skylights set in tall precipices flood light into the otherwise dimly lit interior, creating a distinctive ambience in the dining area.

From the walls to the ceiling, large surface areas are finished with matte silver foil, diffusing light throughout the space and casting shadowy reflections of the human figures within, evocative of walking through the mist. Other surfaces throughout the lounge and dining area are rendered a light red hue, which when combined with the metallic silver creates a sunset-like radiance.

Various Associates hope, “to provide people with a fabulous experience of drinking in a ‘valley’ awash with gentle breeze, mist and glow of sunset.”

A mysterious passageway leads to a hidden private dining area with a deep red, concave ceiling adding to the sense of intimacy. Elements include rough-textured walls, jet black furnishings and transparent glass, rendering the interior with a sense of occasion. Flickering candles add to the romantic, sensory experience.

[Images courtesy of Various Associates. Photography by Feng Shao.]