If you search for quotes about time, you will find that they are as varied as human language, which has its limits. This is because the nature of time itself is one of change. It can be fleeting, complex, or profound, and experiencing it can feel unreal. Fortunately, poets from both the East and West have discovered that they can express their understanding of time through the flow of rivers. Whether it is the Yellow River or the Thames, flowing water also represents time, and its ups and downs become a source of inspiration for our designs.
The bar project is located in the Thames Town of Songjiang, Shanghai. It is a four-story Western-style house with front and back gardens, full of exotic atmosphere. In the spatial layout, we use the first, second, and third floors as service floors, and the underground floor as the functional floor, where the kitchen and a walk-in wine cellar are located. We give each floor a time-related attribute and connect the four floors of time with a wooden spiral staircase.
Entering through the garden terrace at the entrance, you arrive on the first floor where a metal-framed foyer greets you. The black and white photography of Winston Churchill reflects the tone of the British pub with a touch of humor. Passing through the standard revolving door on the right, the atmosphere shifts to express the non-linearity of time in memory, connecting different spaces and times. A super long bar, traditional mahogany bar paired with modern bar stools, and a background bar cabinet with a European frame and handmade Chinese carved background, along with amber whiskey bottles illuminated by bottom light, create a unique aesthetic. The orange ceiling and red stone floor create a brilliant color scheme. The coffered ceiling is embedded with small lamps featuring the bar's logo, dotted with black and white photos embedded in the wall's grid-shaped wood paneling, large mirrors, and embellished with wall lamps, creating a psychedelic feeling that leaves you feeling intoxicated before you even drink. If you can't find the entrance to other floors, don't worry. Go back to the foyer, knock on Churchill's door, and a hidden passage will open, leading to a dazzling crystal chandelier that glimmers like time and a spiral staircase leading to other dimensions.
Upon arriving on the second floor, you'll notice a significant change in atmosphere, as if entering a Western collector's living room, filled with glass cabinets and wall paintings from different periods and regions that coexist at the same time. The space becomes lively under the rendering of large mirrors and wall and table lamps. The second floor expresses the richness of time in memory, where all kinds of events seem to happen in an instant. On the other side are two private rooms, which, when opened, resemble the master and mistress's own rooms, with equally rich collections and different feelings. In the fine details, the black and white carpet, which has the same size and color pattern as the floor, can even transform the mood of your steps. Every piece of furniture, every pillow, and every collection seem to speak of the host's rich experiences.
With an expectant heart, I returned to the third floor, where my fluctuating heartbeat quieted down. There are only two large private rooms here, which feel like the living room of the host, secluded and profound. The third floor reflects the depth of time in memory. The large black wooden panels, like ancient wood and stone, are as ancient as the world itself. The towering sloping roof, rendered by restrained lighting, reveals a deep green color. The long layered boards are filled with books from all over the world. A beam of sunlight shining through the louvered windows illuminates the black and white photograph of the sea taken by Hiroshi Sugimoto at the end of the room. Only the light from the flames dancing in the fireplace is telling the flow of time. Sitting casually in a vintage armchair, lighting a cigar, this moment seems eternal.
At this point, the host interrupted our reverie: "Do you want to choose a bottle of wine?" Following him, we walked around the stairs and went down to the basement. The geometric faces of the crystal chandeliers accompanied the lights and flickered on our faces. The deconstructed Chinese characters on the background wallpaper of the staircase also moved with it. Finally, we arrived at the door of the wine cellar. As the door opened, a circular, ancient space was revealed in front of us. Time is fleeting. The fan-shaped mosaic on the ground has been marked, and the metal tiles on the wall have also been carved out of undulations. Time is also generous. The bottles of wine seem to be suspended in the air, and only a little light illuminates the labels. The unique taste of each bottle is created by its vintage.
As I try to express the process of time through design language, watching my desired work slowly take shape, I also gained a precious friendship from the bar owner. This may be the true meaning of all of this.
