Le Canard Bistro — Baicai Design

Project

Retail
Cultural
Restaurants and Bar
Cafe and Bakery
Other

Le Canard Bistro

Le Canard Bistro is an exquisite Western restaurant located in Shenyang, dedicated to pursuing quality in every detail. Le Canard provides diners with premium ingredients, a comfortable environment, and a relaxed ambiance.

Project Info:

Status: built, 2023
Area: 211 sqm
Client: Le Canard Bistro
Location: ShenYang
Photography: Topia Vision

The selected location is within Shenyang's MixC Mall, aiming to break conventional norms and create a contrasting atmosphere. We aspire to craft an environment within a fast-paced, commercial space that invites people to slow down. The presented space exudes a natural sense of relaxation, deliberately designed with an absence of deliberate design within a commercial setting, creating an unforced and relaxed ambiance.

The project site is adjacent to an atrium within the shopping mall. Part of the area is indoors, while the open-air atrium extends to the operational space. We aimed to enhance spatial transparency on-site, utilizing visually transparent partitions along the store's boundaries to create a space that is both enclosed and open.

Due to the limited interior space within the shop, a significant portion had to be allocated to the kitchen area. We designed an open-plan kitchen visible from both sides of the shop, enhancing spatial richness and depth.

Differing from the compactness of the kitchen, the outdoor dining area offers a more relaxed atmosphere, creating a courtyard-like setting. This design allows the restaurant to be viewed from both sides and from higher spaces, showcasing the brand. We created a circular flow in the outdoor seating area, featuring a central island for displaying products amidst a green, atmospheric environment. This setup not only increases visual screening but also provides a central focal point, cultivating an unconventional yet harmonious sense of order.

The space primarily utilizes shades of green and beige brown, incorporating materials like handmade tiles, terrazzo, reclaimed wood, clay, cotton-linen, metal sheets, and greenery, all boasting a comfortable, natural appeal. Through the use of these materials and color schemes, our aim is to create a natural, laid-back, outdoor-inspired atmosphere. We intend to contrast with the surrounding commercial environment, offering a tactile experience and bringing people closer through accessible materials.

When customers step into the scene, they instantly sense the fragrance of sunlight, a laid-back texture, and an atmosphere of relaxation. Our aim is to create new urban life memories and experiences, offering not just cuisine but a lifestyle.

About

Baicai Design is a multidisciplinary design practice based in New York and Shenyang, working across architecture, interiors, exhibitions, and spatial design. Its practice spans different geographies, scales, and cultural contexts.

Founded by Kaiwen Zhao, Baicai is shaped by his interdisciplinary background in design and architecture. Zhao studied Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. He currently teaches in the Department of Industrial Design at RISD, and has previously taught at the University of Colorado Denver, lectured at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and served as a guest critic at Syracuse University.

Baicai approaches space beyond the conventional boundaries of interior design, bringing together architectural and product design thinking to address spatial questions. Through different scales of intervention, we explore the relationships between space, objects, and human behavior.

Awards

FRAME Wellness Space of the year Shortlisted
2026

Paris Design Awards Winner
2026

MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner
2026

Dezeen China Rising Firm of the Year
2025

POSITION Award China Best 100 Young Architect
2024

Guangzhou Design Week 40 Under 40
2024

AD China 100 YOUNG
2022-2024

Architizer Best Young Interior Design Firm Special Mention
2024

Forbes China 30 Under 30
2023

FRAME Small Residential of the year Shortlisted
2023

FRAME Award Best Emerging Designer Nominee
2023

APIDA Design Award Excellence Award
2023

FRAME Pop-up Store of the Year
2022

FRAME Window Display of the Year Shortlisted
2022

WYDF TOP 100 Designer
2022

Dezeen Award Shortlisted
2022

Architecture Masterprize Best of The Bests
2022

AD China 100 YOUNG
2020-2022

Architecture Masterprize Honorable Mention
2022

KUKAN Design Award Shortlisted
2022

DNA Award Winner in Workplace Design
2022

DNA Award Honorable Mention in Workplace Design
2022

DNA Award Honorable Mention in Showroom Design
2022

K-Design Award Winner
2022

Novum Design Award Gold Award
2022

Novum Design Award Silver Award
2022

IDA Design Award Honorable Mention
2022

FRAME Best of the Month
2022 April

Design for Asia Award Bronx Award
2021

Design for Asia Award Excellence Award
2021

IDEA Design Award Finalist
2021

Golden Pin Design Award Winner
2021

Golden Pin Design Award Honorable Mention
2022

Vestibulum Inceptos Gravida, Ornare Review,
by Tincidunt Nisl
2024

Ullamcorper Faucibus (Congue) Euismod, by Ligula Parturient, Bibendum Review Porta Libero
2023

Dictumst Tristique, Facilisis Magazine, Edition Two, Porta Libero
2021

Auctor Adipiscing Art Magazine, Porta Libero
2020

Sollicitudin Ornare Magazine,
Porta Libero
2020

Press