Project: Lanzhai vegetarian restaurant
Location: Beijing, China
Award: Individual Project Interiors: Lighting Projects, Bronze, 2023
Design Practice: Beijing PRO Lighting Design Co.
Client: Lanzhai
Lanzhai is a three-storey vegetarian restaurant located in the east corner of the Sanlitun Mechanical College in Beijing. The designers have used natural lighting hidden within the space or integrated into objects to provide a comfortable and atmospheric dining experience. Lighting is also used to dramatic effect to highlight decorative features and architectural details such as the curved staircase and the vaulted ceiling. Small, frameless, black-embedded spotlights have been selected for the ceiling to create a perforated effect. In the VIP room warm lighting creates a welcoming ambiance.
In order to create a relaxing space the designers created an "intermediate state" lighting environment where carefully calibrated lighting levels ensure all objects are in contrast. They have paid special attention to brightness ratios between the architecture, landscape and interior to enable people outside to quickly find the restaurant and accommodate different relationships within the interior space.
Design highlights
Outside, linear lighting is used on the high facades to show the integrity of the building while the lower part of these three facades is not illuminated, creating a seamless integration between the entire building and the landscape. The lobby has the highest brightness in the indoor space, with varying levels between the bathrooms, corridors and main dining area.
Photo credit: Beijing PRO Lighting Design Co., Ltd
PRINCIPAL LIGHTING DESIGNERS: Li Hui, Jing Xin
OTHER LIGHTING DESIGNERS: Guo Zhilei, Zhang Sa, Zhou Daibing, Bai Suai