- Project: HONG 0871 Yunnan Cuisine Restaurant
- Architect: IN.X Space Design
- Location: China, Shanghai
- Year: 2021
- Area: 860 m2
- Photography: Yan Zheng
Located on Wusong Road in Shanghai, HONG 0871 Yunnan Cuisine Restaurant by IN.X, led by Design Director Wei Wu, marks the brand’s expansion into Shanghai after its success in Beijing. At 9,256 square feet, the restaurant combines culinary storytelling with spatial drama, embodying both the abundance of Yunnan and the cosmopolitan vibrancy of Shanghai.
Concept: Simmering Flavor into Space
Founder Xin Liu envisioned HONG 0871 as a brand that captures the essence of Yunnan’s cuisine—wild yet refined—while appealing to Shanghai’s sophisticated diners. Wei Wu translated this vision into a spatial narrative where the color, flavor, and texture of Yunnan’s culinary traditions are simmered into architecture.
The design juxtaposes Yunnan’s mystical, mountain-born character with Shanghai’s modern, urban dynamism. Rammed earth, stone, wood, and metal intertwine to create atmospheres that are both ancient and contemporary, rustic and refined. By night, the restaurant merges seamlessly into Shanghai’s illuminated cityscape without losing its regional soul.
Spatial Experience: A Theatrical Sequence
HONG 0871 unfolds like a dining performance, where each area acts as a distinct act in a carefully choreographed repertoire:
-
Wine Cellar & Bar: A striking brass bar and rough gray terrazzo form the opening scene. The wine cellar glows like a sculptural installation, where brass lines and lighting intersect dynamically, channeling urban energy.
-
Public Dining Area: The core dining space juxtaposes red rammed earth walls with modern arc cladding, balancing nostalgia with contemporary elegance. Black terrazzo floors and rhythmic curtain lines frame arc-shaped seating, merging ancient memory with modern plotlines.
-
Tea Room: A quieter interlude, where wooden trellis doors, gauze curtains, rustic flooring, and mottled ceilings filter sunlight into a poetic atmosphere. Contemporary art and long dining tables merge past stories with present aesthetics, forming an inclusive cultural meeting ground.
-
Private Dining: As the “final act,” dimmed lighting and intimate settings shift the experience into privacy. The backdrop of bustling Shanghai beyond the windows becomes part of the restaurant’s layered narrative.
Materials and Atmosphere
The design thrives on contrast and integration:
-
Rammed earth and wood evoke ancient simplicity.
-
Brass and terrazzo deliver contemporary sophistication.
-
Light and shadow dramatize transitions, reinforcing a sense of rhythm and anticipation.
-
Red accents embody passion and culinary richness, tying back to Yunnan’s flavors.
This interplay creates a multi-sensory environment, where architecture becomes an extension of taste—warm, bold, and enduring.
Strategic Dining Design
Beyond aesthetics, IN.X applied its philosophy of “strategic catering design”, aligning the space with brand DNA, cuisine, and market positioning. By integrating branding, experience, and storytelling, the restaurant becomes more than a place to dine—it becomes an impression complex where food and space are inseparable.
For Wei Wu, this synergy between design and cuisine is a kind of magic: if cooking is magic, then only magic in space can match it.
With HONG 0871, IN.X crafted a restaurant that is as dramatic as it is refined, translating Yunnan’s culinary soul into a design language that resonates with Shanghai’s urban context. Through its layered narratives, material contrasts, and theatrical sequencing, the project elevates dining into an immersive cultural experience—where memory, flavor, and design converge.
Drawings
