DESIGN NAME: Supa Fama
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Restaurant and Bar
INSPIRATION: Shenzhen’s coastal climate and historical European influence gave us the opportunity to infuse a Mediterranean twist to the brand’s already established garden centric aesthetic, simultaneously maintaining the brand identity while adding a distinct local character.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Supa Fama’s mission is to encourage a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating, championing locally sourced, farm fresh produce for their salad based meals, aiming to educate people on the value of quality ingredients from known sources. Their visual identity embraces this focus on informative narration, weaving in imagery of farming, both traditional and modern, creating engaging and immersive gardenscape spaces, that invites guests to interact with the surrounding flora and spark conversation.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: As customers take the escalators up to the second floor, they are greeted by Supa Fama, which spans both sides of the public walkway, the interior space on the right and on the left an outdoor dining deck. It backs onto the mall’s open air atrium, protected from the elements by the floor above. It’s tiered timber flooring steps up towards the atrium forming a backdrop of vibrant greenery, creating cosy dining nooks amidst plants growing freely.
On the opposing side, a reclaimed timber bench seat lines the entire facade of the restaurant, facing the public walkway and blurring the indoor outdoor edge.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project design phases began in May 2024, with construction starting in July of the same year.
Construction was completed in September, and the restaurant's soft opening began in October 2024.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The restaurant interior design uses materials such as brick, rough plaster and zellige tiles to recall coastal Mediterranean architecture. These highly textural materials exude a hand crafted quality, complemented by blue and white hand drawn art evoking the warmth and familiarity of family meals at a grandparent’s home, those times when precious memories are made. The ambiance is bright, breezy, and inviting, with the open kitchen allowing for transparency of food preparation and the enticing aromas of pizza cooking to permeate and enhance the sensory experience.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The restaurant is a total of 450sqm, with the interior total area being 350sqm and the exterior dining area a total of 100sqm.
The kitchen area is 110sqm, meeting the minimum requirement of 30% of the total interior area.
Maximum capacity is 160 pax.
TAGS: restaurant, interior design, biophillic design, farm to table, verdant, materiality, architecture
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Flora is integral to the Supa Fama visual identity, treated as a material like any other. To ensure the plants will thrive in low light environments, extensive research was undertaken to find the most suitable species, factoring in best growing conditions as well as the need for clean and hygienic dining spaces. Once chosen, they are positioned to bring a soft contrast to the hard surfaces, filter light and create movement. They are a subtle reminder of the beauty of natural impermanence.
CHALLENGE: Interpreting the allocated space and understanding the context proved not only a challenge but became the foundation on which to build the concept. Balancing the interior and exterior designated areas was a crucial aspect, and our design solution integrates seamlessly with the mall, avoiding the segregated feel of the typical mall restaurant. Instead, its openness creates a harmonious collaboration with its surroundings. The seating on both sides of the walkway fosters a theatrical atmosphere, with audience and performer roles played by each guest at different times.
ADDED DATE: 2025-02-14 01:00:58
TEAM MEMBERS (1) :
IMAGE CREDITS: All images: Photographer Chris Peng, 2025
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