We were honoured to be presented with the American Architecture Prize for our winning project En Vain Baijiu Bar in the category of Interior Design.
American Architecture Prize ( AAP ) 是由美国建筑奖组委会联合耶鲁大学、哈佛大学、纽约时报等权威机构媒体，评选出的全球最有创意、能够推动行业发展且改善人们生活品质的建筑/规划/景观/室内作品。
United Design Practice ( UDP ) 荣获室内设计专业组优秀奖。
PROJECT NAME:
En Vain Baijiu Bar & Restaurant
INSPIRATION:
In vain, for pairing baijiu with foods, Chinese with western influences. In vain, for we are merely having fun excavating and reinventing Chinese wine culture. In vain, for we are but a part of this process, one of many, not first nor last.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Our job is to design a Chinese Baijiu Bar for the young and fashionable. Chinese baijiu (白酒), a strong distilled spirit, is perceived to be for an older demographic, dated, boring and old fashioned. This is an exciting opportunity to reinvent the category, in terms of how chinese cultural elements can be interpreted in a fresh manner, yet respectful of its historical context. The name En Vain, French for ‘in vain’, is a direct reference to this playful attitude of how to interpret culture.
白搭，白酒和食品的组合。受中国与西方的影响，“白搭”，我们享受于挖掘和重塑中国酒文化的研究过程。“白搭”文化，我们是这个概念研究中的一员，不是第一个，也不是最后一个。
我们的工作是设计一幕年轻和时尚的中国白酒印象。中国白酒，一款强壮的酒精饮料，通常被认为是“老龄化的，陈旧的，无聊的”；如何在尊重历史和文化的基础上以突破常规的形式呈现，是个令人振奋的机会。“En Vain”源于法语，意为“in vain／徒劳，白搭”，这是一个直接的参考用以顽皮的态度来诠释文化。
RESEARCH ABSTRACT:
Baijiu Bar is essentially a new space typology. A Chinese product in essence, Western in experiential retail expression. Any experiment of this nature, especially in Beijing the political and cultural capital of China, needs to be respectful of traditional culture, yet reinterpreted in a meaningful manner to attract a consumer base obsessed with the cutting edge and trendy. That said, we decided to be light-hearted in this play of culture and design. We are part of this process, of defining what is Modern Chinese. We seek not to imitate the past, we respect deeply the underlying spirit, but the design expression is new and unencumbered.
白酒酒吧本质上是一种新的空间类型。在北京这个中国政治文化中心的大环境下，使中国产品本色在西方体验式零售环境得以表达，需要尊重传统文化，又要重新以另一种意义的前沿时尚来吸引消费者。我们决定以一个轻松的游戏态度面对这个文化设计行为，我们是定义现代中国的实践过程中的一部分，我们深刻尊重精神本质，但不刻意模仿历史，以崭新的语言进行表达。
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION:
The overall experience is a layered one. At first glance a bar, with chinese elements, housed in an industrial language, with contemporary detailing. On closer inspection, disruptive play of traditional elements, modern execution of traditional tropes, a recurring graphic motif that is western yet chinese in different forms from the logo, to coasters, to wallpaper, screens, and paintings hung on the wall.
一个有层次的整体形象。乍一看，这是一个由强烈复古工业质感设计语言塑造起的富有中国元素的当代风格的酒吧。仔细观察，会发现它是一个破坏性的用传统语言来暗示现代印象的空间。中西设计语言结合的标识是一个反复出现在车、墙纸、屏风和壁画的图形主题。
CHALLENGE:
The biggest challenge was integrating these different design styles into a cohesive whole. Contemporary yet referencing traditional cultural elements, in expression both Chinese and Western in the use of patterning and iconography. Interior wise, using the current industrial language and color palette of wood, greys and neutrals, accented with bright contrasting colors found in Chinese traditions like opera costumes.
最大的挑战在于将这些不同的设计风格整合在一起——当代元素／传统文化／中西方在视觉传达上的不同。内部的思考，使用当前的工业风格和木色调的设计语言，和从中国传统戏曲服饰中发掘出的灰色及厚重的复色与鲜明色彩的对比。
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY:
All aspects of the interior space was designed by us. From the branding, graphic motif which is then used in the screens, wallpaper and cushions, the interior design, lighting, ceiling installation. The furniture was also custom made, with chinese jointing details esp in the bar tables. The paintings were rendered using 3D software and printed on calligraphic paper and oil painting canvas. Soft furnishing designed include signage, cushions, coasters, namecards, postcards. In the disruptive use of traditional elements, we used windows found in traditional chinese houses to form the key ceiling installation. We hung tables upside down to house downlights. We created what could possibly be the first 3D rendered calligraphic paintings, inspired by the 3 fragrances of Baijiu.The screen in the foyer was laser cut from steel using the graphic motif in the branding designed.
从品牌、图形主题以及其在屏风、壁纸、抱枕的运用、天花板和灯光，我们规划设计了整个室内空间。家具是在中国的木材质连接工艺上定制的，尤其是酒吧的桌子。三维化渲染的中国书法文字分别呈现在宣纸和油画布上。软装设计包括标识、靠垫、杯垫、名片、明信片。我们颠覆性的在主天花板的选择上使用了传统的格子窗，将桌子倒放并嵌入筒灯。我们创造了源于白酒三种香型的三维书法模式。在门厅摆放着的是用激光切割工艺实现品牌设计中的图形图案应用的屏风。
TEAM MEMBERS / 设计团队 :
Lin Wei, Tang Junhao, Jacopo Saleri, Gao Yang and Anfia Lin
IMAGE CREDITS / 影像源 :
Photographed by Shawn Koh (Feng Studios)
MAIN CONTRACTOR / 工程管理 :
Yin Mo