Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザイン by Luxi Chen

Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザイン by Luxi Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 鉄賞 in ホスピタリティ・レクリエーション・旅行・観光デザイン Competition Category.

鉄ホスピタリティ· 2025

Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザイン

by Luxi Chen

Client: Yan Xia San Yue

A' Design Award 鉄賞 Winner in ホスピタリティ Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #166697

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザイン

「Timber and Table」は、中国・浙江省の伝統的な中庭住宅をアダプティブリユース（用途転換再生）して生まれたレストランである。もとの木造の梁、煉瓦壁、瓦屋根、摩耗した敷居は保存され、伝統的な職人技法によって修復された。現行の安全基準とサービス上の要求に応えるため、鉄骨補強を隠蔽して組み込み、現代的な建築設備を導入している。前棟と後棟は、緩衝空間と階段によって結ばれる。中央の中庭は錦鯉の泳ぐ水盤として再構想され、訪れる人々に静かなひとときをもたらしている。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 鉄賞

Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザインは、よく設計された創造物に期待される専門的・産業的要件を満たす優れたデザインに授与される、権威ある評価である A' Design Award 鉄賞の受賞作品です。鉄賞の受賞作品は、制作者の高い技量、高度な専門性、専門家としての理解、創造的な能力を示しています。Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザインは、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される、実用的で革新的な創造物であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 鉄賞を受賞したデザインは、業界のベストプラクティスを統合し、ノウハウと才能に結びついた有能な技術的特性を備えています。Timber and Table レストランインテリアデザインは、その徹底ぶりで尊敬され、世界をより良い場所にするための生活の質の向上をもたらすよう設計されています。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This project transforms a vernacular house into a vibrant restaurant, preserving its original architecture, including exposed beams, tiled roofs, and courtyards. The design blends heritage with modern comfort, incorporating handcrafted decor and local materials. Cozy indoor seating and landscaped outdoor spaces create a warm, inviting atmosphere. The result is a unique dining destination that celebrates cultural preservation and innovative reuse.
Dimensions & Packaging: The restaurant connects two originally separate building volumes, front and rear, through the addition of a transitional space and staircase, improving both circulation and spatial coherence. This intervention allows guests to move fluidly across the site while maintaining the integrity of the original structures. At the center of the plan, the traditional siheyuan courtyard was preserved and reimagined as a small reflecting pool. Inspired by the concept of four water return to the hall, the courtyard now features koi fish and becomes a sensory pause point where guests are invited to linger and engage. These design elements were realized through discreet structural enhancements and the integration of modern mechanical and lighting systems, ensuring both functionality and atmosphere are carefully balanced.
Tags: restaurant, interior design, timber architecture, vernacular design, natural materials, hospitality design, rural modern, dining space, spatial design, contemporary rustic, sustainable design, architectural interiors, community dining, handcrafted finishes
Production Technology: The restaurant was realized through a careful process of adaptive reuse, emphasizing the preservation of original materials and architectural character. Existing timber structures and brick walls were retained and restored using a repair as found approach, where imperfections were respected as part of the building’s story. Traditional craftsmanship techniques were employed to maintain the material authenticity, while discreet structural reinforcements and modern building systems were integrated to meet current functional and safety standards. This balance between heritage and contemporary utility allows the space to serve modern needs without losing its historic soul.
Design Challenge: The most significant challenge in designing the restaurant was balancing the preservation of original materials with the need to meet current structural safety standards. Many of the existing timber beams and brick walls showed signs of aging and wear, yet were essential to maintaining the building’s historical character and emotional resonance. Rather than replacing them, we adopted a strategy of selective reinforcement, strengthening the internal structural system with concealed steel supports and anchoring techniques that respected the original construction. Advanced assessments were conducted to evaluate load-bearing capacity, and materials were treated to improve fire resistance and durability. This approach allowed us to preserve the authentic textures and atmosphere of the space while ensuring long-term safety and performance.
Research: The design was grounded in research on vernacular courtyard architecture, particularly the spatial logic and symbolic meaning of the four water return to the hall layout. Historical studies of timber framed structures and traditional construction techniques informed the preservation strategy, guiding decisions on which elements to retain, restore, or reinterpret. Field investigations of the existing building revealed traces of previous residential life, circulation paths, window placements, and layering of materials, which were carefully studied to shape a design that resonates with memory. Contemporary hospitality needs were also analyzed to ensure seamless integration of modern functions such as circulation flow, service zones, and kitchen operations. The result is a space where traditional spatial values and modern user expectations are harmonized through informed, site-specific design.
Inspiration: Inspired by the rich cultural heritage of vernacular architecture, this project aims to honor tradition while adapting to contemporary needs. The design seeks to preserve the house’s original features, such as exposed beams and courtyards, while enhancing functionality for modern dining. Drawing on local craftsmanship and materials, the project combines technical research on sustainable reuse with a vision to create an immersive cultural and culinary experience.
Project Duration: The design of the restaurant was conducted in Zhejiang, China. The project spanned approximately nine months from concept development to construction documentation. Throughout this period, close collaboration with local craftsmen, structural consultants, and preservation specialists ensured that the design remained rooted in its cultural and architectural context while meeting contemporary standards.
Operation Flow: The restaurant offers more than a meal, it provides a sense of stability, comfort, and connection by grounding the dining experience in memory. The design embraces the original building’s layout and materials, allowing the familiar structure to remain a quiet anchor for the new. Exposed wood beams, weathered brick, and worn thresholds are preserved and celebrated, inviting guests to feel at ease in a space that remembers its past. Circulation flows gently through well worn paths, guiding diners through intimate zones that evoke both nostalgia and warmth. This respectful integration of the old with the new creates a tranquil atmosphere where guests can slow down, feel at home, and form new memories rooted in continuity and care.