Interdisciplinary and multi-perspective design team TaG Living alongside interior designers Wang Pin-Ho, Wang Pin-Shain and Chen Xiao-Xian, have completed ‘The Taste Journey’ project for THOMAS CHIEN Restaurant, a Michelin Green Star, fine dining establishment serving up gourmet French cuisine in southern Taiwan.
Located near Kaohsiung Port in Kaohsiung City, the design team looked to the restaurant’s proximity to the sea when putting together the impressive concept. Focussing on four themes: sustainability, cross- disciplinary collaboration, art, and eco-friendliness, the 198 square metre space is divided into six immersive zones: ‘Classic French Vault’, ‘Sail’, ‘Yacht Cabin’, ‘Deck Canopy’, ‘Coastal Bay, and Vault Cellar’; each telling its own story, serving unique functions, and conveying specific meanings.
Used oyster shells are processed into natural concrete-free paints through roasting and grinding.
The restaurant’s counter is currently Taiwan’s largest and heaviest 3D printed piece of furniture.
With the Michelin Green Star awarded in 2013 for the restaurant’s sustainable commitment, sustainability was an important factor in the design, the chef using food waste such as oyster shells to create natural concrete-free paints, and the design team opting for 3D printing technology to reduce material waste and slow the consumption of natural resources while minimising environmental impact.
Another sustainable example involves ghost nets whereby through reprocessing techniques, the nets were fabricated into organic recycled carpets. The colour tones of the carpet form the local topography and serve as the guide for the traffic flow of this space. Each object displayed throughout represents a visual journey with curated permanent collections and theories of artistic visual performance a focal point in the dining area itself.
Boasting culinary acumen and all the classic French techniques, dining at THOMAS CHIEN Restaurant is not only a gastronomic pleasure but diners can be proud to know that they’re supporting small local farms and fishing communities as part of an unwavering commitment to sustainability. Its new design concept honouring that same commitment, this is a restaurant setting a global standard in its responsible approach to environmental impact.
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Photography, Yuchen Chao, courtesy THOMAS CHIEN Restaurant Taiwan.
