GEMPOT is positioned on the expansive riverbank of Aranya, along with a collection of 12 contemporary and futuristic buildings. These low-rise white architecture are arranged in an artfully staggered manner, creating a subtle, almost ethereal beauty. Visitors wander through the area, curiously exploring the diverse boutique shops and restaurants, evoking the feeling of exploring within a mysterious and delightful Curio box. The restaurant is pictured as a carefully concealed gem, with only glimpses of its intriguing details visible from various angles. As one turns a corner, as if a secret is being unlocked, reveals a delightful culinary journey hidden within.

The name 珍煲 "GEMPOT" is inspired from the concept of 珍宝 "treasures." The design strategy is based on the idea of "delicacies from land and sea, in the form of precious jewels and pearls." We distilled the beauty of shapes and textures of ancient treasure artifacts into graphic elements, seamlessly integrating them into the brand identity and spatial design.

For this project, we worked on the rennovation of architecture facade and the interior space design. Our design extends the concept of the "Curio box" to a richer and more varied scale. Much like the Curio box’s delightful and surprising way of opening, with its intricate and layering spatial relationships, a box measuring 28x32 cm can house dozens of precious treasures. By incorporating numerous drawers, sliding doors, and flipping mechanisms, as well as creating apertures with artistic shapes, Curio Box emphasizes the process of opening, discovering, handling, and storing treasures. This process is made exceptionally refined, all built upon the foundation of meticulous craftsmanship.

Interestingly, the architecture of GEMPOT shares many design similarities with the Curio box. Both utilize a method of stacking different volumes, creating various openings, overlaps, alignments, enclosures, and cuts that result in a dynamic and staggered spatial experience. This consistent design logic is applied across both architectural and the smaller design scales. We rennovated the apetures on the building’s facade, let the openings distribute in a seemingly random pattern, offering diverse and curated views for both interior and exterior. The windows function similarly to drawers and doors in the Curio box, framing each view as though it were a "treasure" on display.

The original building features a three-story structure with a staggered box-like form, with ample natural light penetrating through facades and ceiling. We preserved this unique layout, integrating new functional areas—such as the kitchen, TongSui bar, and seating zones within new volumes that are inserted to the interior space. These volumes are then interconnected through designed elements such as staircases, corridors, and lighting, ensuring a comfortable circulation to enhance the overall dining experience.