Located nearby Hangzhou’s famed West Lake within China’s Zhejiang Province, the Purple Garden Restaurant is focussed on serving exceptional Hunan-style cuisine in a refined atmosphere. 

Considering the client’s enthusiasm for traditional Chinese gardens, LDP’s lead designer, Lei Jian, took inspiration from the famed Ming Dynasty gardens in the Jiangnan style, adapting their elements into a contemporary design aesthetic.  

This can be seen in the project’s materials palette, as well as the careful attention to visual lines of movement and the coordinated contrasts between light and shadow throughout. 

Site challenges 

The restaurant features eight private dining rooms adorned with scroll paintings, framed calligraphy and silk-wrapped screens.

The project site’s ground level was originally below that of the adjacent office buildings, resulting in water from the surrounding area flooding the site on rainy days. 

It is incorporating a courtyard pond, which conveniently integrates the problem of excess water on the site. It is planted with abundant lotus flowers and stocked with colourful koi fish to create an oasis-like ambience away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Courtyard landscape 

The project occupies a T-shaped site with an external area of 1 350m² and an internal area of 700m². The outdoor portion of the site features four distinct spaces – the entrance courtyard, a rest area in the shade of a tree, a set of terraced steps and the lotus pond. 

A tall, illuminated bamboo fence creates a visual barrier between the restaurant’s administration area and a small courtyard. The designer has set up a long, narrow path with two rows of bamboo planted to lean inwards, as if to welcome guests by bowing courteously. 

The entrance to the inner courtyard is formed by a tall doorway within a white walled enclosure, topped with black ceramic roof tiles. A set of staggered, terraced steps naturally ensure an atmosphere of privacy, while also creating a relaxed descent full of visual variety. The lotus pond is located at the bottom of the steps, providing a delightful surprise with its abundant lotus plants. 

A tall, illuminated bamboo fence creates a visual barrier between the restaurant’s administration area and courtyard.

Lotus theme and inspiration 

For people in China, living close to water has been associated with the pursuit of a better life since ancient times. Accordingly, the restaurant has integrated water and lotus-themed elements throughout its various spaces. 

Private dining rooms are placed adjacent to the lotus pond. With tall ceilings retaining the shape of the original building’s sloped roof, the private rooms cultivate an elegant, open ambience, accented by walls finished with dyed silk.  

The smooth, light texture of silk lends an atmosphere recalling traditional Jiangnan-style aesthetics, while the soft green and blue-purple palette refers to the colours of midsummer lotus leaves and the celebrated blue lotus flower. 

A series of carefully positioned scroll paintings, framed calligraphy and silk-wrapped screens with gold-leaf background surfaces bring the cultivated world of imperial-era elegance to life, updating and integrating it with contemporary aesthetics. 

Project information 

Project name: Purple Garden Restaurant. 

Location: Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. 

Designer: LDP Interior Design. 

Site area: 2 050m². 

Interior area: 700m². 

Photography: Hanmo Vision. 

Full thanks and acknowledgement go to www.current-newswire.com for the information in this article.