Ronglu Restaurant is situated in the Lujiazui Financial Development Zone of Pudong, adjacent to three towers including the Shanghai Center Tower. It is also connected to the internal dynamic corridor of the Shanghai World Financial Center. At the outset of the design, the client requested that although the restaurant is located on the second basement level, diners should feel a pleasant, open atmosphere—not the typical stuffy, enclosed underground space. The overall environment should blend both business and leisure vibes.
Since Ronglu is a Cantonese restaurant and benefits from a ceiling height exceeding 5 meters, the design introduces the concept of the Lingnan courtyard into the interior. This creates the sensation of dining in a courtyard, mitigating the disadvantages of an underground space through thoughtful spatial planning.
Taking into account the existing spatial layout and the numerous private dining rooms, the “front courtyard and back garden” arrangement typical of Lingnan courtyards was deemed the most suitable. In this design, the residential area and garden are distinct yet interconnected zones without solid walls separating them. This balance of separation and connection encapsulates the artistic atmosphere we aim to offer.
The front lobby serves as the “garden” — spacious and open — while the rear private dining rooms make up the “residential” area, which is more concentrated yet dynamic.
Although the lobby is enclosed by a 4.5-meter-high copper-plated fence, sightlines remain largely unobstructed for standing and walking guests, maintaining visual connections with the open stalls and semi-private rooms on both sides. When needed, all fences can be moved or retracted to one side.
Considering diners’ visual experience at seated height, the increased density of horizontal elements in the barrier provides partial visual screening, enhancing privacy appropriately.
Within the “garden,” we’ve installed a two-square-meter “tree pool.” Given the challenges of maintaining live plants underground, large floral installations replace real trees and are changed seasonally. Four booth sets not only add spatial layers with a garden-like feel but also help absorb noise in the expansive area.
The ceiling above features several staggered openings (designed with BIM) aligned with the dining layout. The blue-green ceiling finish adds a touch of greenery and evokes an open sky ambiance.
In the rear private dining area, several rooms of various sizes are enclosed within glowing boxes made of semi-transparent materials. This allows guests outside to perceive silhouettes inside, creating a connection between the tangible and intangible, reminiscent of traditional garden and private room relationships.
The private rooms continue using the main materials found in the lobby and include multiple sliding doors. When desired, four partition walls can be fully opened to merge smaller rooms into one large space.
To highlight the Lingnan style, we sourced matte gray marble from Yunfu, Guangdong, and extensively applied the traditional staggered splicing flooring technique in the main hall.
Floor plan
(BIM)
Project Information
Function: Restaurant
Design Period: September 2016 – February 2017
Construction Period: February 2017 – September 2017
Location: Pudong, Shanghai
Area: 1,070 square meters
Design Team: Xiao Lei, Ye Lizhou, Xu Meng, Pedro Ruiz Mazano, Liu Yingying
Type: Interior Design
Status: Completed
Photographer: Ghana Yongyi
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