Cobra Lily is a Pan-Asian restaurant and bar located in Shanghai’s popular Xintandi complex. Designed around a mysterious femme fatale, the design is a journey through her day and the myriad of places she moves through. I love the design of this space because of the contrast between the materials, colors, and concepts that simultaneously complement and push away from each other. The original early 1900’s decorative Chinese archways have been kept creating a secret alleyway that opens up to reveal the chic modern bar and lounge area. It features a two-story atrium for diners and drinkers alike to people-watch from a perch, playing into the female-spy theme that is hinted throughout the space. Even the bathrooms are positioned at the end of a long dark corridor, and the stalls themselves are hidden in the wall and need to be found just to use the commode. The space was made to encapsulate the words “dark, gritty, seductive” and “mysterious, and leaves you with one lingering question: who is Cobra Lily?
Cobra Lily Architecture & Interior Design by hcreates.
Photo credit to Seth Powers Photography.
