MINISTRY OF CRAB

Chuan He

• Designers

BOX·MOC

The Twin Towers on Jiaozi Avenue in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, have become one of the most popular landmarks in the last two years. Situated right on Jiaozi Avenue, BOX·MOC looks out to the Twin Towers in distance and enjoys a superb view.

Ministry of Crab, a Sri Lankan brand that has been honoured as Asia’s top 50 restaurants for the last few years, is now in Chengdu and looking forward to winning more customers and business. The restaurant is divided into two storeys, with the ground floor serving as the bar and the first as the restaurant.

The design of the bar focused on concepts. We wanted to create a free and trendy place that is also special and memorable on Jiaozi Avenue. We have incorporated the wings of the archangel that support the entire first storey and make it the focal point. The specially designed illumination makes the wings come alive, which seem about to take flight, and adds to the bar’s versatility and dramatic tension.

As the restaurant on the first storey enjoys plenty of natural light and a good view of the Twin Towers, we decided not to block the view with any additional elements. Instead, we focused on creating a shell-shaped ceiling, which is decorated with a stand-alone illumination device. The entire ceiling is lit up and the exterior appears translucent and exquisite, making BOX·MOC stand out on Jiaozi Avenue.