happy panda restaurant in ecuador by hou de sousa

based on traditional chinese art and architecture, ‘happy panda restaurant’ by architecture firm hou de sousa is located within the san francisco shopping center in cumbaya, a district of quito, ecuador. the undulating ceiling forms a negative mould of chinese temples, and is made from CNC cut plywood and heavy weight interfacing – a fabric used to stiffen dresses and suits. the continuous surface flows overhead, smoothly transitioning between the high dining room and low service area. the journey through the restaurant is a fluid experience of expansion and compression of the different spaces. the main dining room and a smaller, more intimate one are separated by a central bar and service area. in order to maximize seating and provide enough room for the bar, the kitchen was lifted and placed on a mezzanine above the main floor level. the walls feature a rendition of the scroll painting ‘qingming shanghe tu’ as it wraps itself around the restaurant. the project schedule was expedited by taking advantage of ecuador’s booming signage industry and employing its techniques and materials.

all images courtesy of hou de sousa

a salmon rendition of ‘qingming shanghe tu’ wraps around the restaurant

looking towards the entrance from the main dining room

the built-in booths and tables hover above the floor

the ceiling flows into the private room

view of the more intimate private dining area

perforated acrylic screens add privacy

looking towards the bar with the private dining room beyond and also the custom lighting fixtures with chrome rods

 
section perspective showing the separation of dining spaces by the bar, service area and kitchen located above

the ceiling is suspended from hidden steel trusses

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