Garden Hotpot, a restaurant among eucalyptus trees.
Imagination has no limits when it comes to China and the study of MUDA-Architects . The proof is in the garden hotpot restaurant located in the municipality of Sansheng , on the outskirts of Chengdu.
This place is known as Chengdu green lung for their lush eucalyptus forests , the lungs of Chengdu and a pride for the country. This is where gastronomy has been integrated into the landscape, thanks to the project that MUDA-Architects has been carrying out since 2018.
Garden Hotpot is not yet finished, but you can visit the first phase of what will be the first restaurant without walls in China. It is a totally unusual building because no walls, no windows , namely, is fully integrated into the forest and in the lagoon, thus respecting the environment and avoiding the ecological footprint to the maximum.
Fortunately the climate here is mild. "We have outdoor air conditioning and electric heaters for each table during the summer and winter," they point out to Traveler.es from MUDA.
What if it rains? "There is a drainage system on the roof deck, so the rain can fall directly into the lake. When the weather is bad, the restaurant is closed."
Have you seen something similar?
For many this forest emanates peace and tranquility , so a restaurant here had to respect this essence. The construction forms along the lake, taking advantage of the vapors that emanate from its waters and rise between the trees . Can you ask for more from this already bucolic image?
The columns are evenly distributed on both sides and support a curved roof exposing the rest of the rooms. Total, the building has a circumference of 290 meters , with a height of 3 meters , and the width varies with the natural environment.
The platform is made of anticorrosive wood and the roof is made of galvanized steel sheet and coated with white fluorocarbon paint. While the columns are made of steel , and merge between the straight trunks of eucalyptus trees disappearing into nature.
Designed for relaxation.
“The wooden railing by the lake is built for customers to enjoy the views and blur the boundary of the lake , which brings people closer to nature”, they explain from MUDA-Architects.
To create the restaurant they had to preserve the trees, in addition to adapting to a tortuous terrain with a maximum drop of almost 2 meters. The first phase was completed in April and is now open to the public.
We will have to wait a little longer to see the work completed. Meanwhile you can enjoy not only a unique space but also a typical gastronomy of the region.
"In the restaurant we serve stew (which in Chinese would mean ) with a typical cooking method in southwestern China. While the hot pot is kept on low heat, the ingredients are placed in the pot and cooked on the table . Typical hotpot dishes include a variety of different meats, vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, etc." they underline.
Its first phase is now open to the public.