Text description provided by the architects
The Youmao Zhishuo Western-style restaurant in Foshan is organised around seven design principles. First, ease and healing: when cats can move comfortably through a calm space and people draw healing energy from both the cats and the refined food, the day becomes happy for cat and cat-lover alike. Second, intimacy and sharing: for the deep cat lover, the cat is a friend, even a companion, an equal soul in another body, and the designer's challenge is to find a balance between cat and human, building a healing, positive shared space. Third, abstraction and displacement: the owner's concrete request for a cat forest is translated abstractly, geometric volumes forming valleys, terraces, caves and water waves that unfold through the room, giving every diner a new experience of cat-café dining. Fourth, shared space: a large terrace generated from contour lines becomes the focal point of the room, organising circulation and offering cats their favourite terrain; because cats naturally prefer height, a cat on the upper terrace sits at the eye level of the visitor, inviting easy visual interaction. Fifth, instinct and insight: the cave designs derive from understanding feline behaviour and innate psychology; changes of light, moving shadow and narrow spaces give cats a sense of security. Sixth, erasure: the protagonists are people and cats on equal terms, so functional objects are hidden to focus attention on the two protagonists. Seventh, warmth and beauty: real-stone paint and Malay lacquer deliver two different textures for a refined atmosphere, an orange ambient glow is paired with tropical and subtropical planting, and the time shared by guest and cat, though a brief moment in each other's lives, returns a gift of warmth that makes the whole day brighter.