Spanish firm Clap Studio has created an half-moon-shaped screen programmed to mimic the changing colours of a sunset in this bao restaurant in Valencia, Spain. The restaurant is located in a modernist building in Ruzafa neighborhood and is the first dining outlet of Baovan, a local food truck that distributes steamed Chinese bao buns, started during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our challenge was to create an experience in accordance with the spirit and personality of Baovan, a brand linked to the sea and with a very specific brand claim “Beers, beach and baos””, explains Clap Studio director Angela Montagud. “Our goal was to transport the user to a beach from where to watch the sunset and enjoy some handmade baos, so we created a whole experience around it.”
Clap Studio divide the space into three distinct areas that the user discovers as he or she enters the space. From the outside, we discover “the forest”, a porch full of ropes that fall from the ceiling representing a dense vegetation. Once the user crosses the forest he discovers the beach and its sunset. A screen in the shape of a half-moon attracts the user’s eyes. This screen programmed by Vitamin Studio recreates the colors of a sunset and is programmed to match its duration to a dinner service.
The interior shows a constant duality of colors that takes us in and out of the water. On the ceiling, the designers recreate a blanket of clouds that brings a magical atmosphere to the interior reflecting the lights of the sunset that is in constant movement. Baovan hides one more area, a reserved area for 10 people where you can have dinner in the moonlight.
Round and crescent shapes are repeated throughout the space inspired by the shape of the bao bread. From the windows that connect the exterior to the interior, to the lighting installation, to the Baovan chairs designed exclusively for the restaurant that represent the shape of an open bao bread.