Shanghai's iconic Mexican Restaurant Cantina Agave gets a fresh new interior design for 2020.
CLIENT
Cantina Agave
LEAD DESIGNER
Hannah Churchill
DESIGN TEAM
Alex Davies, Siyi Huang
PHOTOGRAPHY
Brian Chua
The 130-square-metre venue needed to accommodate both daytime dining and late-night drinks, with comfortable settings for small and large groups. Rotating the bar to the rear wall created visual impact but required the rest of the plan to be reconsidered. Storage was limited, an immovable services duct interrupted the floor, and construction was delayed by the first pandemic closures.
The renovation gives Cantina Agave a clearer identity without disconnecting it from its neighbourhood history. The bar now draws people through the room, flexible seating supports different times of day, and practical constraints are integrated into the design rather than treated as compromises.
A large backlit mirrored arch frames the new bar and its red-neon ‘coctels’ sign, making it visible from outside. Bright blue tile connects the bar to the established brand colour, while concrete walls, warm oak joinery and low-temperature lighting give the dining room a more refined, atmospheric character. High upholstered banquettes provide the energy of bar seating with enough comfort for daytime meals, and their bases conceal additional storage. The intrusive services duct is absorbed into a large joinery unit that doubles as a service station. Durable wood-look tile supports the late-night operation, while custom cactus wallpaper and industrial red lighting bring playful moments to the restrained material palette. When construction and manufacturing paused, the team worked with the client to adjust sourcing and keep the project moving.
