Lukstudio, led by the architect Christina Luk, finds its inspiration in a noodle rack to provide a unique environment to a restaurant in Changsha -China-. Combining diverse materials, such as steel, bamboo and concrete, they involve the user in a rural atmosphere. In opposition to this use of materials, light bulbs that lighten the space from the end of hanging cables provide an elegant and urban image. These wires hang as they the traditional Chinese noodles would in the rack during its preparation.
It is still a mistery if 'The Noodle Rack' will constitute an example for future street food restaurants, being a pioneer in the upgrading of the urban image of many Chinese streets or if it will stand as a singular design element between the agglomeration of anonymous cafeterias.
Description of the project by Lukstudio
Noodle soup is a common street food all over China. While most of these noodle joints spend tremendous effort to win customers with taste, some has started to add attractive store design into their branding recipe. A good example is LongXiaoBao, a newcomer who sets foot in Changsha with an ambition to spread the local Shao Yang style rice noodle to the rest of China. Commissioned to conceive a contemporary identityfor their first restaurant, Lukstudio integrates the tradition of noodle making in the spatial design by reinterpreting a noodle rack.
Nestled along an outdoor shopping promenade nearby the Xiangjiang River, the 50-sqm noodle joint exudes a calm yet mysterious presence with its bamboo-cast concrete storefront. Two rustic steel boxes penetrate through the solemn exterior: the taller one is cladded with rusted steel panels and its shorter neighbor is built like a metal scaffold. These three elements together orchestrate a journey of discovery.
Walking past the entry box, the customer is greeted by a composed counter design lined with the bamboo mold used for casting the exteriors. As one proceeds towards the halo surrounding the grid structure, the interior layers start revealing themselves. Firstly, the original wall is stripped down to its structural blocks to resonate with the rustic metal grid. Secondly, wooden boxes are carefully placed within the rack to showcase selected porcelains. Finally, a series of metal wires are draped across the dining room to create the lighting feature with hangingbulbs. Balancing the rustic interiors, these reflective strands create a poetic notion of dining under a noodle rack.
Playing with the duality between rustic and refined, eastern tradition and western representation, Lukstudio introduces a crossover between fast food chain and upscale diner. The Noodle Rack differentiates itself from the stigma of kitsch fast food “hole in the wall” on every street of China. It demonstrates how Chinese eateries have the potentials to be reborn into hip gathering spots comparable to the new trend of cafés.
CREDITS. DATA SHEET.-
Project.- Christina Luk, Alba Beroiz Blázquez, Cai Jin Hong, Pao Yee Lim.
General contractor.- Shanghai MaiChang Construction Project Co., Ltd.
Photography.- Peter Dixie for LOTAN Architectural Photography.
Dates.- Feb – April 2015 (design), May– July 2015 (construction).
Net surface.- 50 sqm.
