Mian Cart Noodle Bar channels the energy of a Hong Kong cart noodle bar at Studio City Macau - without pastiche.
A prime corner site with a fully open frontage allowed the design to blur boundaries with the mall, drawing people in and letting the energy spill out.
Process
Pre-Concept
Concept Design
Schematic Design
Detail Design
Tender Documentation
Tender Management
Construction Support
Guideline Package
Post-Completion Review
We designed every aspect of the environment including the bespoke neon ceiling and all the fixtures and lighting.
Every aspect of the scheme has been thoughtfully designed to hark back to the traditional cart noodle bar with an emphasis on natural materials and simple geometry but with a dystopian twist to channel the evocative energy of Hong Kong by night in the shape of neon ceiling design, freestanding fixtures and signage.
The design channels the visual and sensory energy of a traditional Hong Kong cart noodle bar, without resorting to pastiche.
The view customers get as they walk in from the mall, a hero counter island with seating all around it, topped with a custom designed neon 'lid'.
Studio X designed every aspect of the space, which is peppered with texture, detail and character.
View from the mall, with a completely open shopfront to encourage diners to enter and explore.
Natural materials, simple geometry, and a warm palette of timber and stone provide the grounding backdrop - against which the neon ceiling and graphic signage deliver maximum visual impact.
Selected views
A collection of images documenting the completed restaurant, highlighting layout, atmosphere, and key design moments.
(Approach)Rather than a contained, heavily fitted dining room, the space opens into the mall, drawing people in and creating a lively, animated environment visible from either end of the arcade.
Progress
A record of the project as it developed on site, capturing key construction milestones from first fix through to completion.
A view from what will become the dining area towards the feature show kitchen and servery island.
A photo mid-construction showing the kitchen space.
Construction progress nears practical completion with the commissioning underway, with days to go before hand-over.
Rachele Nardone Marin
Design Director
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd
Studio X team are detail-oriented designers who can navigate a project from master planning through to operational and merchandise planning.
They understand the importance of maximising business needs whilst complementing their design agenda with innovative and functional solutions.
A schematic stage un-rendered model showing the central island with feature floor finish and lighting.
A birdseye view produced to illustrate the layout intent and give human-scale impression of the fixture scale and circulation pathways.
.avif)
A floor plan showing the context of the site relative to the mall and the spatial layout and fixture-to threshold proximity.
A layered composition of crafted materials, bespoke joinery, warm lighting, and carefully resolved material junctions define the space.
The completed interior draws on the sensory language of the traditional cart noodle bar - the warmth of timber, the texture of mosaic tile, the low glow of pendant lighting - and amplifies it through a bespoke neon ceiling installation that runs the full length of the space.
Every element was custom-designed, from the light fittings and signage to the joinery and graphic wall art. The result is an environment that feels considered and cohesive - one that gives guests a genuinely immersive dining experience but one that is fresh and contemporary without any obviously pastiched or overt references.
Cassian Lau
Senior Design Manager
Melco Resorts
We have appointed Studio X on a number of high-profile projects within our resort portfolio over the past few years, ranging in size and sector type from new F&B concepts to food courts to lifestyle retail stores. Studio X are dynamic and flexible in their approach, and are able to help us internally bridge the gap between our various internal departments - leasing, operations and construction - folding themselves into the team.
The output is always high quality, consistent, and aligned with our budgets, and the projects are well received by both our customers and management. We look forward to partnering with them again on future projects.
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