Xinpeng Liu · CLIENT: Beijing Moriwei Garden Catering Co., Ltd.
This 230 square meter indoor forest restaurant in Beijing uses walls and ceilings to arrange six green modules, achieving 68 square meters of planting area while occupying only 10 square meters on the ground. The stairwell is turned into a green corridor that guides guests upstairs. Traditional garden techniques are integrated with modern design through shifting scenes and framed views. More than 3000 plants and solid wood elements enable carbon storage. An intelligent system automates irrigation and lighting, balancing aesthetics, function and ecology.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This 230 square meter landscape transforms a compact second floor restaurant in Beijing into a lush forest. It features 68 square meters of plants with 90% greenery on walls and ceilings, integrating Chinese garden techniques like changing scenery and framed views.
Using 3000+ plants and carbon negative wood, it creates low carbon eco design. An intelligent system controls irrigation and lighting. The stairwell becomes a scenic journey attracting guests upstairs.
This creates a distinctive dining experience fusing nature, sustainability and technology—a model for urban indoor ecological landscape design. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Overall project scale, 230 square meters of indoor space with a total green landscape area of 68 square meters, only 10 square meters of ground occupation. Core technical parameters, the spatial greening system covers nonfunctional areas such as walls and ceilings, creating 6 types of plant landscape modules. The intelligent operation and maintenance system supports remote and automatic irrigation and light supplement, and monitors environmental indicators such as soil temperature and humidity and air humidity in real time. Material specifications, more than 3000 living plants across 60 varieties are adopted, and natural solid wood environmental protection base materials are applied throughout the space to achieve carbon sequestration and material recyclability.
- Tags
- Indoor landscape design, Forest themed space, Three dimensional greening, Beijing catering design, Intelligent plant maintenance
- Production Technology
- The design began with in-depth analysis of the 230 square meter space, addressing constraints like low ceilings, fragmented layout and messy pipelines. Volumetric greening utilized walls and ceilings to arrange six plant landscape forms, achieving 68 square meters of greenery using only 10 square meters of ground space while transforming the stairwell into a scenic green corridor.
Traditional Chinese garden concepts were integrated innovatively, applying changing scenery with each step and framed views via large internal glass windows for low-height private rooms, resolving oppressiveness. Eco-friendly materials were prioritized: over 3000 living plants of 60 varieties enable carbon sequestration, while natural solid wood furniture provides carbon storage and recyclability.
An intelligent digital management system combines IoT technology for remote automated control of irrigation and lighting, with real-time environmental monitoring to adjust maintenance strategies dynamically, ensuring long-term sustainability. All techniques balanced aesthetic, ecological and functional demands to create an immersive indoor forest dining space. - Design Challenge
- The hardest part was reconciling the large scale forest themed greening demand with the severe physical constraints of the 230 square meter indoor space in Beijing including low ceilings fragmented layout and second floor location The core creative challenge was to create an immersive natural dining experience without sacrificing functional usability which required breaking the conventional flat greening model Externally the limited construction technology for indoor three dimensional greening and strict local environmental requirements for indoor plant survival posed obstacles the lack of mature intelligent maintenance systems for small scale indoor landscapes also added difficulties Internally balancing modern dining space functionality with traditional Chinese garden aesthetic concepts like framed views and dynamic scenery was a key struggle as was ensuring long term ecological sustainability under indoor conditions To overcome these we innovatively adopted spatial greening to utilize nonfunctional walls ceilings developed a custom small scale intelligent operation system for real time environmental monitoring and automated plant care and integrated traditional garden techniques into modern space design We also selected cold resistant low light plant species adapted to Beijing's indoor environment and eco friendly solid wood materials complying with local environmental regulations ultimately achieving a balance of aesthetic functional and ecological goals within the limited space.
- Project Duration
- This project is located in Beijing, China. The design work commenced in December 2018 and the construction was completed in July 2019.
- Operation Flow
- The design operates as a unified indoor landscape system integrating three core interactive modules. The spatial greening module functions passively to create immersive visual and sensory experiences. Layered plant landscapes across walls and ceilings produce dynamic scenery shifts as people move through the space, achieving natural spatial transitions and an immersive forest dining atmosphere. The material utilization module engages with the environment sustainably. Natural wood and living plants continuously sequester carbon while forming a recyclable material cycle, delivering long-term ecological benefits. The intelligent operation module enables both automated and manual interaction. It autonomously monitors environmental data as it happens, automatically adjusts irrigation and supplemental lighting, and supports remote manual control through mobile devices for flexible regulation. Key elements include the stairwell green corridor guiding spatial flow, internal framed windows connecting scattered spaces, and the intelligent system's instant data feedback. This integrated approach maximizes underutilized areas to enhance spatial efficiency, alleviates spatial constraints through traditional garden methods, and ensures stable landscape operation through intelligent management. By prioritizing spatial innovation and technological support, the system achieves a superior balance of aesthetic experience, functional practicality, and ecological sustainability compared to conventional indoor designs.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by Beijing's high rise district lacking greenery, this project creates a natural retreat. The 230 square meter space became a lush forest through Chinese garden principles like changing scenery and framed views.
Blending sustainability with high end dining, eco friendly materials create a low carbon landscape. Japanese culture inspired the greenery. The stairwell becomes a scenic journey attracting guests upstairs. Intelligent management ensures sustainability. The result reinterprets traditional aesthetics for modern spaces, delivering an immersive natural dining experience.
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