chemistry of taste
Charcohol Restaurant & Cocktail Bar Located in a heritage building in Fengsheng Li in the center of Shanghai, is a restaurant and cocktail bar specialising in charcoal-grilled cuisine and craft cocktails. STUDIO8 was commissioned to design the visual identity, architecture, interior design and landscape for the project.
The project aim was to create an exclusive food experience. When Chef Mandela Zhu first met STUDIO8’s design principals, Shirley and Andrea, he told them the food and drinks of his new bar are greatly inspired by forest and fire. The miraculous chemistry of taste happens when carefully selected simple ingredients are cooked at the right temperature for the right time. In a way, design is very similar to culinary arts.
STUDIO8 embarked on creating a space that reflects the chef’s vision and ultimately goes beyond. Inspired by the transformative nature of charcoal and its role in food creation, the design unfolds around an axis of time, crossed by an axis of temperature. From south to north, stretching across the main entrance, three dining halls conceptualise the transformation of wood to charcoal and finally to ash.
Considering that the restaurant occupies a historic house in the center of Shanghai, the renovation demanded a respectful attitude towards the architectural heritage. Special details were developed to connect the new facade elements and the old structure. The newly added steel and glass structure is completely detached from the original building, whist wall lighting highlights the beauty of the architecture.