Birch Forest Restaurant

Birch Forest Restaurant

Birch Forest Restaurant is an innovative architectural and interior design project completed in 2021, situated near the Jinghe Wetland Park in Xi'an, China. This mixed-use commercial space, spanning 1,000 square meters across two floors, masterfully integrates traditional Chinese architectural elements with contemporary design principles. The design concept draws profound inspiration from the classical Northern Song Dynasty poem A Trip to Lushan Mountain by Mei Yaochen, specifically the verse Dear drink at trackless stream, artfully incorporating the three fundamental elements of forest, deer, and water throughout the space. The restaurant's most distinctive feature is its sophisticated ceiling grid system, which abstracts the intertwined canopy of a forest into a tensile architectural structure, created through precise aluminum plate manufacturing and installation. The space employs traditional Chinese mortise and tenon joint techniques, demonstrating a thoughtful fusion of ancestral wisdom with modern spatial design. The first floor, initially conceived for sales negotiations, and the second floor seamlessly combine restaurant and art gallery functions, creating a sustainable, multipurpose venue that harmoniously coexists with its surrounding ecological resources. This exceptional project, designed by Kris Lin and Anda Yang, earned the Silver A' Design Award in the Hospitality, Recreation, Travel and Tourism Design category, recognizing its innovative approach to commercial space design and its successful integration of cultural elements with contemporary functionality.

sustainable design, mixed-use commercial space, traditional Chinese architecture, ecological integration, contemporary interior design, hospitality innovation

— Adam Dawson