New cladding, partitions, lighting and landscaping transform a former porte cochere into an inviting, accessible pedestrian entry. A row of trees buffer the new concrete and granite walkway from the busy highway. 

Siding detail. The variable height, color, and lighting create a rich variety of rhythms and textures. 

Cedar screen detail. The angled shadows complete the diagonal figures. 

The nested red and black soffit alludes to traditional Chinese paper folding crafts and lacquerware color schemes. 

The soffit entry's dynamic forms appear radically different depending on your approach. Here, the two triangular partitions appear balanced.

Inspired by Chinese paper folding crafts, angular folding geometries merge wall, ceiling, and furniture and announce a new entry threshold. Its shape is determined by centering between the existing ceiling lights.  

Glass slides from the old dining room lanterns are repurposed to create a grid of frames and a curved motif that references the dining room dragons 

Economical 4" X 24" ebony wood ceramic tiles are combined to create 4" X 48" units that transition from negative space to positive space 

Combined with red wood ceramic tiling, the ebony tiling reverses positive/negative space relationships as one processes through the entry hall 

Custom designed banquette provides additional storage. Formally and structurally balancing heavy and light elements, the former stabilizes the latter. Consistent with the folding motif, the floor tiling wraps along the wall to spatialize surfaces 

Historic aerial photos of the restaurant site ground the restaurant as a local institution and reference the abstract formal qualities of Chinese ink landscapes 

Angular shelving in elevation and plan also create angular shadows 

A new field of lights unifies the central dining space and allows for the free placement of tables and chairs. The spherical fixtures of this exploded chandelier allude to Chinese paper lanterns  

The exploded chandelier conforms to a doubly curved surface. The silver and bronze lanterns create different patterns (single colored/alternating colored) depending on one's perspective 

Multiple alignments and patterns emerge from the implied assymetrically curved surface 

Custom designed booths reduce the perception of its bulk 

The high relief and black stain of the booth edges create shadow effects to further reduce the booth's bulk 

The different wood stains differentiate the frames from afar; the maple and oak wood grains differentiate the frames upclose 

New color scheme integrates the new flooring, custom furniture, and walls. Custom designed trellis references traditional Chinese screens but with a pixelated, contemporary expression 

The trellis depth creates patterns of light and shadow to emerge 

Merging sculpture and painting, dynamic compositions of shadows and colors change when walking by 

Inspired by Chinese garden screens and the drawings of Connecticut artist Sol Lewitt, traditional representational elements like a horizon line and foreshortening allude to the former windows along this wall. 

Bathroom tiling reiterates the Chinese paper folding forms of the hallway and exterior entry

Dual symmetries formed by grout and fixture alignments are balanced with the dynamic assymetrical bi-colored tile design.

"Pre-existing Condition" 

"Pre-existing Condition" 

"Pre-existing Condition"