DATA SHEET

Interior design, Light design, Decoration design, Artworkdesign: CCD / Cheng Chung Design
Photo credits: Courtesy of CCD / Cheng Chung Design

Arriving at the city of Mile, in the Yunnan province of southern China, the visual impact is amazing. 50% Cloud is a series of gigantic outdoor sculptures in red brick created by the local artist Luo Xu with biomorphic curves and volumes of dizzying height, which seem to sway in the sky like a cloud. These works of architecture stand out in the intense greenery, and have been made without any load-bearing concrete or metal parts. They now also contain a restaurant – the 50% Cloud.Artists Lounge – created by the studio CCD / Cheng Chung Design.

50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China

The forms and features of the structure have been kept intact, without any modification, and are ingeniously exploited for the interiors, extending their curves and natural sinuous shapes. Light becomes a primary design material, because it “reveals the existence of all things,” the designers say. It enters the round openings created in the pinnacles, filtered by arches and domes of the ceilings in raw brick, caressing objects and materials. The effect is that of an atmosphere in constant change, crossing the various moments of the day.

50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China

All the furnishings have been arranged in terms of the orientation of light sources, below the skylights, also enhanced by artificial spot lighting aimed at tables, counters and enclosures. The spaces feature works of art, like the sculpture resembling a human head, which takes its cue from the Hand of Buddha tourist attraction in Mile City, or the abstract ‘Cloud’ sculpture, open to multiple interpretations.

50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China
50% Cloud.Artists Lounge - Mile, China

The creative influence extends to some of the design elements created for the occasion, like the evocative panel in curved steel at the entrance, which ‘embraces’ the maître’s desk and accompanies guests inside.