The.H is located in Xi'an, an ancient city with a long history and profound cultural context. It inherits the classic charm of the past, and meanwhile incorporates futuristic, avant-garde elements. Inspired by beer-brewing culture, the design teamadopted "sticks" as the medium of spatial narratives, and worked to create a distinctive bar & restaurant space with a unique ambience.
Innovation: The Chinese word "造", spelt "ZAO", refers to "handmade craftsmanship" and is the core of the client's values. The brand focuses on creating fully handcrafted products, rather than process semi-finished products sold on the market. Inspired by Dior Fall 2021 Show, retro-style materials including green terrazzo, mosaic tile and thick brown leather popular in the 1960s are brought into the space, forming a classic spatial scene awash with the trace of the past. The specular and brushed stainless steel gives the space a dynamic rhythm and a futuristic touch. The creases on the surface of the silver-hued sphere evoke a sense of time passing. Silently suspended under white lighting, the art installation features avant-garde color and planet-like shape, generating a "meditative" ambience with a futuristic feeling.
Creativity: Belgian monasteries are home to world-class craft beers, and the source of inspiration for the project design. The monks sell beers to the secular world, and the profits are used for monastic daily expenses and go to charity. The project extracts the spirit of craft beer brewing and translates it into the concept "stick", which reveals the features and culture typical to craft beers. Copper elements outline atmospheric expressions unique to beers. Complemented by lighting, the vertical red "sticks" become a visual highlight, producing a unique vibe.
Functionality: It is a bar & restaurant space. The spatial layout seems to be in disorder, but actually it is subtly arranged in a symmetrical yet staggered manner. Reasonable and smooth service circulation routes not only ensure the spatial order, but also improve guests' multi-sensory experiences. The design solutions and elaborate spatial organization show ingenuity both at macro and micro levels.
Sustainability: 1. In the current social context that pays great attention to reuse and sustainable development, the project establishes a dialogue between “old and new languages” by recycling waste copper. It sorts collected waste copper, and then brings pollution-free copper materials back to furnace for melting. With the recyclable concept, the waste copper is reused as the main decorative materials in the space. 2. Even the beer brand closes this bar in the future, the overall bar counter can be disassembled and moved to another space, subtly supporting the pursuit of sustainable use.