At Arkham we believe that a restaurant needs at least to have perfect foods, however, we believe that the experience of consuming these foods is much more important than the food itself. Whether it is a social or sports need, a space to talk business or a romantic one, the tireless search to find different experiences is what makes people enjoy restaurants.
Lians, a Chinese food restaurant, for many years already had the perfect food, however, the previous establishment did not provide users with a memorable experience. Even being located in one of the most important avenues of the city of Mérida, Lians was gradually passing into oblivion.
Our challenge was to find the prominence that Lians' food deserved and generate a gastro-architectural experience for regular and new customers. All this in the same place where he was already.
On the facade, we decided to use red clay in a format designed for the restaurant. The material is manufactured by local hands, placed on the job in the form of scales, turning the restaurant's outer skin into a dragon that envelops the entire restaurant, a mythical animal of Chinese culture. The interior space is contained by a black industrial sheet, a material with a clean and smooth surface, which contrasts perfectly with the artisan clay, where the tension between the modern and the traditional mix to generate a gastro-architectural setting, which is impregnated in the memory of those who visit the place.
The vegetation is the last ingredient on the outside that allows Lians to be recognized from a distance, a natural element that ends up wrapping the restaurant, creating a visual and acoustic cushion between the user and the chaos of the city.
Inside, we create different scenarios based on the ceiling panels, where the existing part was lined with wood and what was once the terrace became an interior pergola whose design allowed us to provide the restaurant with acoustic comfort. The bar is made up of two thousand Chinese coins placed in such a way that they remind us of the mountainous landscapes of that country.
