Situated along a narrow leafy street with traditional style teahouses and buildings, La bottega is Italian eatery in Hangzhou with its roots in the owners home towns in Italy. A little lane along the side of the building gives a glimpse to what lies inside with an Italian inspired street and exterior patio overlooking the lake along the rear.
CLIENT
La Bottega
LEAD DESIGNER
Hannah Churchill
DESIGN TEAM
Yicheng Zeng , Yufei Chu, Runia Du, Vicky Liao
PHOTOGRAPHY
Brian Chua
The design needed to feel rooted in the owners’ Italian background without ignoring the local architecture around it. The opportunity was to make a casual, contemporary restaurant that could sit comfortably among traditional teahouses and buildings, while drawing people through the narrow side lane and into the space.
Old and new are allowed to sit together without becoming nostalgic. Traditional architecture, Italian references and the client’s younger, playful branding create a restaurant that feels casual, lived-in and connected to its setting — from the lane at the front through to the lakeside patio at the rear.
Green arched windows animate the existing grey-brick façade and bring natural light into the dining room. The original pitched timber roof is left exposed and supplemented with skylights, keeping the volume bright and airy. Earthy orange and red banquettes add warmth, while raw concrete and plaster are balanced by geometric parquet and mosaic flooring. At the far end, a working pizza area and feature bar use black-and-white tile and marble to reference familiar Italian food traditions. Open shelving filled with wine, produce and stacked plates keeps the room relaxed rather than overly composed.
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