Craftsmen worked for weeks around the clock glueing, sanding and sculpting 1,000 sheets of plywood to create three giant artworks as a key installation at Nishimura Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing.
The 3 metre by 8 metre wall (below) was the brainchild of Hong Kong-based CL3 Architects Ltd, and part of its 'nature garden' design theme for the restaurant's renovation. The designers say the project challenges the traditional concept that artwork should be wall- or floor-mounted. Here, it becomes 'the very fabric of the interior'.
Apart from its aesthetic appeal, the wall cleverly conceals two difficult structural elements: a low beam and a large column. Two oval apertures frame interesting scenes from both sides, connecting the main dining area with the entrance while shifting with one's movement to reveal a three-dimensional aspect.
Other materials used in the project reflect Japanese elements in innovative ways: white sand raked in patterns to represent a water garden; carpet with moss-like patterns and colours; dried tree branches that make an artistic 'cultivation'.
Design consultant Jane Arnett says the concept aimed to evoke the spirit and soul of a garden using natural materials, textures and colours, with the drama of light filtering through trees and plants. 'We wanted to bring as much natural light into the space as possible without compromising the privacy,' she says.
The project beat more than 150 entries from 17 countries to win the 2007 gold key award for Excellence in Hospitality Design, presented by the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show and sponsored by Interior Design and Hotel magazines. It won International Interior Design magazine's best of the year award, beating 930 entries worldwide.