Gold Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2021
Da Ya Li Roast Duck Restaurant
by Wei Wu
- A' Design Award 2021 Gold Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Beijing Da Ya Li Catering Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 20,490
- Verification code 6B79E1BD91 · Verify this award
About Da Ya Li Roast Duck Restaurant
Da Ya Li is the interior design of a roast duck restaurant in Chengdu, China. The central feature is a red tree house made of rattan. About 50,000 rattan pieces were polished and spray painted in a workshop, then fixed one by one onto a shaped base. The woven pattern rises from the staircase entrance and extends to the seating areas. Red recalls Chinese royal architecture and the peppery taste of Sichuan cuisine. Smoky black antique brick walls and floor tiles balance the warm red. A metal grille divides the space for commercial needs.
Ao Zhang's celebrated interior for Da Ya Li Roast Duck Restaurant represents a remarkable synthesis of traditional craft sensibility and contemporary spatial design, positioning itself within the evolving discourse of cultural heritage reinterpretation in hospitality environments. The designer appears to draw upon the visual vocabulary of traditional woven objects, particularly lanterns and baskets, scaling these intimate domestic forms to architectural magnitude through the deployment of undulating vermillion metal mesh screens that flow organically through the dining space. This chromatic choice carries significant cultural resonance, as red traditionally embodies prosperity, celebration, and auspicious gathering in many traditions, making it particularly appropriate for a restaurant celebrating culinary heritage. The technical achievement lies in the seamless integration of functional spatial division with sculptural expressiveness, as the woven screens simultaneously create intimate dining territories while maintaining visual connectivity across the generous volume. The interior illumination strategy demonstrates particular sophistication, with warm light sources concealed within the mesh structure creating an ethereal inner luminosity that transforms the installation into a glowing architectural lantern at larger scale. The formal tension between the strict orthogonal grid of the woven elements and the flowing organic curves of the overall forms suggests a meditation on the relationship between systematic craft tradition and inspired creative transformation. Viewers might contemplate how this environment elevates the communal dining experience into something approaching ritual celebration, inviting consideration of how contemporary design can honor culinary traditions while creating distinctly modern spatial experiences.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The super symbol of this brand - the tree house, is like a childhood dream, which represents people's pursuit of the heart of child. The rattans has built undulating shapes, weaving a beautiful vision in the infinite tenderness and evoking the most rustic and authentic memory of the diners .
- Dimensions & Packaging
- We set the lines of red rattan according to the drawings on site, and made the base of the keel. 50,000 rattans were uniformly polished and spray-painted in the workshop, and then were attached one by one to the base of the keel, then we adjusted and modified and painted finally. It’s majestic, the metal grille separates the space and meets the commercial needs, it properly connects every dimension of the space by its hotizontal, vertical lines with rich layers without losing the whole.
- Tags
- Da Ya Li, Wei Wu, Shi Yunfeng, Roast Duck, Chengdu Restaurant
- Production Technology
- The most highlighted part is the tree house made of rattan. Like other raw materials as bricks and wood, the solid weave pattern slowly rises from the entrance of the staircase and eventually extends to the seats. The cool smoky black antique brick walls and floor tiles reduce the restlessness and anxiety brought by the warm red, achieving a delicate balance between color and material temperature. Materials, colors, and craftsmanship are intrinsically connected with the super symbol tree house. For example, the rattan for wall decoration, the rattan for tree house, and the rattan for door panels are the same one with different handling methods.
- Design Challenge
- We had 2 challenges. This roast duck restaurant brand - Da Ya Li, has been in the catering market for over two decades. The first challenge was aging problem of an old brand, and the other challenge was how to better integrate into the local Sichuan culture as a Beijing cuisine. How to maintain the endless vitality of an old brand is a great challenge, but in this project, the designer is facing both challenges of brand image upgrading and integrating into the local culture.
- Project Duration
- The project started in June 2019 in Chengdu and finished in September 2019 in Chengdu.
- Operation Flow
- To feel the image of "visual symbol" in the space, two values must be realized. One is to spread the value, customers have a topical communication carrier , and the other is to be able to form a brand visual symbol, strengthen and deepen the experience of the brand. The core visual focus of the space is the red tree house. This super-symbol image can form a memory point for a brand, and create better spreading effect, so that the local has a new understanding of Beijing cuisine.
- Research
- Research background: Commercial space.
Research object:20-year old restaurant chain brand .
Research purpose: We had 2 challenges. This roast duck restaurant brand - Da Ya Li, has been in the catering market for over two decades. The first challenge was aging problem of an old brand, and the other challenge was how to better integrate into the local Sichuan culture as a Beijing cuisine.
Method: Feel the image of "visual symbols" in the space, a "subversive" spatial processing technique.
Commercial value: To realize two values, one is communication value, so that consumers have a topical communication carrier, and the other is the ability to form a brand visualization symbol to strengthen and deepen the brand experience. - Inspiration
- The red color is a symbol of solemn Chinese royal architecture, and it is also the typical sign of peppery taste in Sichuan cuisine. This color is presented in this project with a visually striking image, which evokes taste memory and recalls national culture at the same time.
- Image Credits
- All Images
Photography: Shi Yunfeng
Project planning: Lele Brand Strategy
Colors of Da Ya Li Roast Duck Restaurant
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