Studio iF

When tasked to conceptualise Tunglok’s new joint venture Peking Duck restaurant, Tunglok Xihe, in a part of Singapore where there’s a large expatriate community, Gwen orchestrated a fresh take on communicating traditions so that one need not be familiar with the Chinese traditions to be able to appreciate the place and cuisine.

Abolishing all pre-conceptions of how a Chinese restaurant serving traditional cuisine should look like, a striking narrative was created by combining inspirations from traditional crafts like paper cutting, calligraphy grids infused with modern graphical sensibilities and story-telling. No details were spared in reducing construction waste. Given the modern technologies of laser cutting screens versus the traditional wood carving method, the ‘waste’ of the laser cut sun screens were transformed into an alluring feature wall at the rear entrance using a negative print version of the front facade sunscreen.

Seeking out the elements that define Chinese traditions and culture, a light-hearted graphical approach is adopted to tell the story of Peking duck, from its historical origins to the cooking techniques on the external walls. Inspirations come from Chinese paper cutting and traditional woodwork carpentry and Chinese architectural elements. Adding on to the story is the showcase of firewood at both entrances of the restaurant.

In keeping the feel of the restaurant refreshingly modern yet intrinsically Chinese, a new experience to savour the Peking duck is born.