Asia Designers Directory - Hangzhou Wild Back by Pig Design

Located on the front street of the commercial complex Huanglong World Trade Center, Wild Back covers an area of 2,000 square metres, establishing itself as a new outdoor landmark in Hangzhou, China. With its wide range of diverse outdoor lifestyle experiences such as food, equipment, and activities, Wild Back encourages people to connect with nature and awaken their inner selves.

Snow Peak, a renowned Japanese brand in the outdoor industry, has established an outdoor equipment store in this location. Snow Peak’s mission to foster a reconnection with nature and humanity aligns perfectly with Wild Back’s advocacy for urban nature. Together, these two brands create a sense of community with the friendly value and identity of embracing the natural world.

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

For this project, Pig Design has successfully completed the landscape, interior, and furniture design for the Grill & Eatery Western Restaurant of Wild Back, which continues the outdoor spirit of Snow Peak and the wilderness theme of Wild Back. The project showcases a unique shift in design, while staying true to Pig’s previous creations by incorporating nature as a theme.

Grill & Eatery of Wild Back strives to establish an unspoiled natural haven within the urban landscape and seeks to make necessary adjustments to the overly refined and polished aspects of modern living. The wilderness represents an unaltered state, showcasing the true essence of nature. It is a realm brimming with challenges and mysteries, offering profound significance to life’s journey.

Moreover, charcoal grilling offers a unique dining experience that takes people back to the original relationship between humans and fire. The “outdoor” has been regarded as an aesthetic proposition beyond its functions in this project. When dining in a restaurant surrounded by nature, one can truly feel a sense of symbiosis with the environment. The overall design of the project aims to create a narrative of dining in the wilderness.

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

: Photo credit: Qi Shuoqian

The design’s flexibility is fused into commercial buildings, which are typically considered the most “worldly” types of buildings. The inclusive public courtyards imbue new meaning into the space, making it a micro-landscape that gently transitions between the building and the city. This not only facilitates visual communication but also creates an ideological presence.

The dwarf wall, adorned with the brand logo, serves a dual purpose. It not only adds aesthetic appeal to the landscape but also acts as a symbolic representation of a miniature station for pedestrians to rest. Placed on the ground, it subtly hints at the entrance. The pavilion and corridor area resemble the rain-sheltering eaves one might come across while exploring the outdoors. The 1.4-metre extension facilitates a gradual and gentle introduction of both rain and sunlight.

Folding windows offer a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors, while also allowing for natural regulation of the indoor microclimate with the changing seasons. In Wild Back, the interior features large rocks resembling cliffs, with branches extending from the sides. The branches and leaves are densely covered with foliage at random, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere in a small area.

The interior design of the space aims to maintain the existing architectural structure and textures while highlighting the natural imprints that time has left. The furniture, including the custom-made tables and chairs, is reminiscent of piles of firewood to convey simplicity, roughness, and a casual ambiance. The wine rack on the bar is made of large sections of wood combined with light strips, creating a three-dimensional effect through the reflection of the light and stainless steel.