The renovation project for Shisenhanten Singapore, a Michelin-starred restaurant, brings together the rich flavours of Sichuan cuisine with a subtle touch of Japanese influence. The interior design concept is a seamless fusion of Chinese and Japanese aesthetics, featuring materials that soften reflections—matte finishes such as silver leaf and delicate, translucent textures.
The lighting design thoughtfully highlights the tactile quality of these materials, ensuring that the light remains gentle, inviting and functional. Soft, ambient illumination and carefully placed indirect lighting enhance both the artistry of the dishes and the beauty of the carefully selected tableware, elevating the dining experience to one of refined elegance.
Perched on the top floor of a hotel, the restaurant welcomes guests with a subdued, intimate glow as they enter the entrance. The path to the main dining area is gently lit, building anticipation for the reveal ahead. In the main dining room, soaring ceilings and expansive windows invite an abundance of natural light during the day, creating a fresh, airy atmosphere that evokes a sense of quiet luxury. As night falls, the lighting transforms the space into a tranquil, almost bar-like setting, allowing guests to lose themselves in the experience—an ambiance rarely found in traditional Chinese restaurants.
During the day, the window-side seats are bathed in brilliant natural light, while in the evening, the setting sun casts a strong glare across the space. We conducted meticulous simulations to study the ever-changing play of light throughout the day, ensuring that the balance between natural light and artificial illumination is flawless. As sunlight floods the window-side tables, the central space is sufficiently illuminated, allowing a seamless blend of brightness and light colour of natural and artificial light, creating a harmonious, inviting atmosphere.
The restaurant also serves as a gallery for diverse works of art, and the lighting for these pieces is treated with almost the same care as in a museum. For artworks that emphasize deep reds, lighting with warm tones enhances their vibrancy, while silver-toned pieces are accented with slightly cooler lighting to emphasize their metallic sheen. This flexibility ensures that as the artwork changes, the lighting can be perfectly tailored to bring out the unique qualities of each new piece.
