Mountain-Sea Chronicles Restaurant | Yantai, Shandong, China

Layered façades

“To meet the mountains, to gaze at the sea, to connect with others, to rediscover oneself.” As commercial dining spaces evolve, the focus increasingly shifts to experiences that capture emotion. The design crafts a curatorial-style immersive dining experience inspired by poetic depictions of landscapes, unfolding like a flowing canvas. The design transforms emotions into physical form, shaping a seamless journey of the senses.

Design Philosophy

The design uses imagery of mountains and seas as the backbone of the space. Floor-to-ceiling windows blur the indoor-outdoor boundary, while curved planting walls and flowing textures guide exploration. Layered façades rise like mountains, complemented by flowing amber light. Walls of varied shapes carve distinct dining zones, allowing spontaneous pathways for diners to roam.

The project reinterprets Eastern culture through contemporary design language. By merging natural metaphors of mountains and seas with innovative forms, the project integrates tradition and modernity, creating a space of harmony, balance, and poetic resonance. The space becomes both a sensory dining journey and a cultural statement about Eastern aesthetics in a globalized context.

Functional Layout

The open kitchen and grilling area form the focal point, with a towering open-flame oven resembling a mystical furnace. The spatial sequence unfolds as an immersive narrative: reception, open atrium, café-like lounge, private rooms, and hidden corridors. Tiered seating designs accommodate varied dining scenarios, balancing privacy with openness. Private rooms adopt innovative green tones, contrasting with the jade marble barriers and gilded ceilings of the main hall.

Material Palette

Materials evoke the duality of mountain and sea. Green tiled floors suggest fields and retreats, layered white façades rise like mountains, and amber lighting suggests vitality. Deep jade-green marble is used for monumental barriers, while gilded ceilings contrast with understated elegance. Natural stone, luminous glazing, greenery, and curvilinear walls merge to create a poetic atmosphere.