Yazdani designs glass box-inspired Mongolian restaurant
Californian architectural design practice Yazdani Studio has designed Ordos Restaurant in China, resembling a glass box with a central courtyard.
Situated in the Mongolian Desert, Ordos Restaurant features a central courtyard for passive cooling, which is a necessity in the harsh climatic region.
The shape of the 3,000 square meter restaurant resembles that of a glass box floating naturally above the landscape. The transparent appearance of the restaurant is achieved by integrating innovative materials palette of high-tech glass that includes colored inner layers, dichromatic and translucent films, and ceramic fritting. The interior of this glass box is constantly adorned by delicate shifts of light.
The architects have been successful in maintaining a vital connection between the restaurant and the environment. All-embracing solar analysis employed early in the design process has helped in establishing an optimal orientation for the transparent building. The restaurant is topped with a large green roof featuring an array of indigenous plants.
The central courtyard of the restaurant features the structural skeleton of a traditional Anhui house, which sets a stark contrast to the restaurant’s modern architecture.
Located adjacent to the Ordos Art Museum, Ordos Concert Hall and a boutique hotel, the new restaurant, with its site specific design, is expected to form a crucial element in the fabric of the Kaokaoshina district - an emerging art and cultural district of Ordos.
