Positioned within the Beijing International Finance Center, Siji Minfu Essence Store emerges as a contemporary dining venue, adorned with a regal and seductive aesthetic. The geographical location of Siji Minfu Essence Store nestled in the bustling Golden City Square district – renowned for its fast-paced lifestyle, elite clientele and financial landscape – set the design brief: to accommodate the natural foot traffic in the business district and contribute and improve work efficiency and regional vitality. Contributing to the landscape, Siji Minfi provides a high-quality dining option and a venue for business meetings and the daily routine of white-collar workers. The venue melds its own identity, and cultural and artistic attributes with those of the city.

It is common for dining venues and brands within the financial district to be hidden and concentrated on the basement level, presenting multiple design challenges. IN•X Design Co. considered a number of factors: how to address underground lighting issues; how to evoke a sense of relaxation that allows guests to zen out in the rational financial centre; and how to integrate Siji Minfu’s cultural characteristics with the high-end demands of the business district.

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The historical context of Beijing and the bustling city life served as a major sources of inspiration through the design process. The aesthetic and values of Siji Minfu and the prosperous scenes of Financial Street complement one another. Seemingly distinct in their historical and industrial backgrounds, they ‘possess consistency in historical context, urban element and humanistic texture.’

Siji Minfu is an elegant escape from the madding crowds and resets people’s spatial experiences from the moment they enter. The dining venue is lacquered in a colour palette of lighter greys and earthy colours, while lights trickle down like moonlight, rendering surface textures under gentle illumination. This design compensates for the lack of natural light in the underground space and ingeniously creates a soothing and immersive atmosphere through subdued tones.

Meanwhile, the structural elements such as columns, red bricks, grey walls and screens divide the public areas into vertical planes. The material palette is a reference to the urban landscape while Oriental art is a nod to Chinese tradition. Both traditional and classical reproductions use modern materials and undergo simplification and artistic reshaping in structure and form, enabling design features that are far apart in time to harmoniously coexist.

Interior Design
IN•X Design Co., Ltd.

Photography
Zheng Yan

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