Born from the minds of two celebrity Michelin-starred chefs, Tre Vin is a new concept restaurant and wine bar which takes from the Italian and Spanish tradition and evolves into a contemporary fine-dining experience as it steps into Shanghai’s bustling F&B panorama.

Avoiding explicit references to a predictable system of materials and atmospheres, the project em-braces a “lost in translation” approach in which elements from the Mediterranean tradition are re-imagined and re-combined to appear, dreamlike, as vague suggestions.

As visual as it is tactile, the spatial experience envisioned by Q&A integrates and enhances the sensory involvement coming from food and wine tasting.

The iconic shallow grooves running vertically along the surface of the concrete-cast walls are mold-ed to accommodate an illusory wine shelving system which encourages curiosity and interaction, as all bottles can be selected and picked directly by each customer.

Slightly distorting, water-like mirrors help expanding or multiplying specific elements according to the viewpoint.

The slightly uneven carpet of multicolor shards underfoot reveals patches with different degrees of smoothness as one walks through the main entrance and across the space. Reflected on mirror-like splinters, fragments of light decorate the otherwise plain white ceiling.

Alternating light and dark, warm and cold tones, rough and polished materials, the overall atmos-phere becomes a sober balance of opposites: wavy Turkish marble of the countertop combined with dark steel finishes, while the grainy texture of exposed concrete works as a background on which the dark lava stone pendant lamps stand out.

Separated from the street by clear glass only, the eerie glow of the dim fluorescent lights welcomes the passer-by and regular customer alike; the composition of materials and volumes, perceivable in its entirety in one glance, has a timeless, universal quality that transcends its particular locale.

Project information and credits:

Design: Q&A Architecture Design Research

Design team: Gianmaria Quarta, Michele Armando, Gu Tao, Eleonora Beltrame

Client: Trevin Tapas & Wine Bar

Location (complete address): 277 Meiyuan Road, Kerry Everbright City, Shanghai (China)

Built area: 98 sqm

Completion (date): August 2018

Photographer: Dirk Weiblen