Supa Fama

Restaurant and Bar for Supa Fama

Supa Fama is a restaurant chain in Guangzhou, China. They serve typical western style cuisine with a focus on using farm fresh produce and quality meats. They aim to promote a healthy lifestyle by eating well. With this in mind, their visual identity features abundant greenery and natural materials, creating a garden-like atmosphere. At the most recent location, an historical theme is inserted into this verdant context, conceived as a steampunk version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It is designed to transport guests to another place and time, whilst remaining a cosy place to dine.

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Supa Fama by Shelley Mock

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Restaurant and Bar by Shelley Mock

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Shelley Mock Supa Fama

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Shelley Mock Restaurant and Bar

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Supa FamaBrand Logo

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Unique Properties

Supa Fama advocates for using locally sourced, farm fresh produce for their salad based meals, aiming to educate on the importance of using quality ingredients from a known source. We built this ethos into the design by drawing on imagery of a farmer's garden greenhouse, filled with all kinds of plants, illustrating the difference between mass and micro food production, in both historical and modern times. We invite guests to interact with the surrounding flora, and hope to inspire conversation.

Tags

Restaurant design, biophillic design, interior design, immersive design, garden restaurant, steampunk, vintage, industrial, narrative

Production Technology

The architectural materials and flora are both essential elements in the design; they represent opposite directions in their lifecycles. Materials such as raw iron or reclaimed timber visibly age towards their death, slowly transforming through oxidation. In contrast, plants start their lifecycle from seed and mature into free-form shapes, constantly changing as they interact with their environment. This juxtaposition creates a paradoxical dynamic in the design, where the enduring qualities of man-made materials contrast with the ephemeral nature of living organisms.

Design Challenge

Understanding the Client’s wish to have a garden restaurant, yet faced with a location deep inside a shopping mall with no access to natural light posed the biggest challenge for us. We needed to use high wattage, white lights to keep the plants growing, yet maintain a warm, soft lighting atmosphere for the diners to be comfortable in. This required careful consideration of positioning, and both the lighting and planting design were implemented early on in the design process.

Project Duration

The entire project took 10 months to complete. Concept Design phase began in March 2022 and construction finished in December 2022, with the restaurant soft opening in February 2023

Operation Flow

The L-shaped floor plan is loosely divided into two zones, the bar and the dining hall. The bar is a horse-shoe shaped central element where guests can sit and get a drink before being directed to their table. The dining area opens up on a central courtyard with a ‘river’ of greenery flowing down the centre. Blackened steel posts define a circulation ring around the courtyard and facilitate the traffic of customers and wait staff, as food is delivered from the adjacent open kitchen.

Research

We paid special attention to developing a visual identity that is unique to this location, yet still adheres to the brand essence that can be traced through all locations. We examined case studies of restaurant and retail chains, small and large, analysing how they convey the same brand identity, whilst the design may vary. Emphasis on core philosophy of their brand – in this case promoting healthy lifestyle and a strong connection to nature, remain present in each design, each in its own way.

Inspiration

The restaurant is an exploration of the machine-made vs the natural, the geometric vs the organic; conceived as a steampunk version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Like the tales of travellers arriving at the Gardens recording their first impressions of its splendour and wonder, we wanted the restaurant to be as awe-inspiring as much as it is a cosy place to dine. We wanted guests to have the feeling of being temporarily transported to another place and time.

Image Credits

All images: Photographer Brian Chua, 2023

Project Overview

Supa Fama Restaurant and Bar has been a Golden winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design award category in the year 2023 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

Golden Recognition

Shelley Mock was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2024, a testament to excellence of their work Supa Fama Restaurant and Bar.

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