Shan Yi — Baicai Design

Shan Yi

Shan Yi is located in Mixx City in Changchun. It is an ethereal, soft and quiet dining space that seems far-removed from the exact bustling commercial body that it is in. The quiet atmosphere allows the customers to pay extra attention to their food. The luxurious texture and exquisite taste come on each plate of lovely surprises.

Project Info:

Status: built, 2023
Area: 210 sqm
Client: Shan Yi
Location: Chang Chun
Photography: Topia Vision

The space tries to convey a brand image that is peaceful, all-inclusive, and diverse. The design is full of elements of the Chaoshan culture and its gifts from nature. The color scheme brings people out of the surrounding commercial landscape, and settles them in a quiet nightly realm of the restaurant. It manifests an attractive simplicity from this other world of Chaoshan as if we could see the countless flickering lights on the fishing boats.

Nets, lights, and narrow alleys are the main elements that thread the space together. We divide the operating area into a few “boxes”, using the metal netting forming breathable boundaries. The boxes naturally carve out the walking spaces, and the netting on the sides mimics the experience of walking through a narrow alley. We hope to reinforce the cultural expression of the space by utilizing the signifiers in more than one way.

We hope that the space is one that allows people to enjoy slowing down. Shan Yi incorporates the tea culture as part of the dining experience. Every table has a tea set that encourages customers to enjoy socializing over tea before the food comes, to intentionally slow down the pace. Every tea set is customized to be an integral part of the dining table, pronouncing the tea culture of Chaoshan organically.

Shan Yi does not try to claim space through extravagance or visual appeal in a sea of commercial flair. It tries to build a sanctuary with humility and authenticity, conveying its values through the serenity it provides for people who set foot in the restaurant.

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.

New York:
540 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY, 11201

Shenyang:
A07International Software Park, Shenyang, China

baicaidesignoffice@gmail.com

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

Press

Baicai Design’s work has received international media coverage across architecture, design, fashion, and culture. The studio has been featured in publications including Gestalten, INTERIORS, AD China, FRAME, Interior Design China, My Home, and id+c, alongside leading global platforms such as Dezeen, Leibal, Architizer, Divisare, Vogue, ELLE China, Yatzer, Cosmopolitan, gooood, Archilovers, Designverse, and Archello.