Underground cisterns inform interior of Hong Kong's Artifact Bar

The interior of this subterranean speakeasy in downtown Hong Kong was designed by local studio NCDA to echo underground water reservoirs, with lighting by LightOrigin Studio to emphasise its "ethereal ambience".

Artifact Bar is situated in the basement of BaseHall 02, a food court in the city's Central district. Nelson Chow's studio NCDA was responsible for the interior, while LightOrigin Studio took charge of the lighting.

The project, which is shortlisted for architectural lighting design of the year at the 2024 Dezeen Awards, references the arches and vaults of subterranean cisterns, as well as sci-fi spaceships and brutalist architecture.

The interior is designed to make the most of a basement space with a restricted ceiling height and no natural illumination. One of the key features is a glowing disc above the bar intended to evoke an artificial sunset.

"The ideology of the paradoxical presence of sunlight in an underground space, juxtaposed with the dimly lit surroundings, imparts a sense of surrealism," suggested LightOrigin Studio.

"By fusing architectural mastery and creative lighting design, the bar offers an extraordinary and ethereal experience."

Guests enter Artifact Bar through a hidden door tucked away within the food court. Circular windows resembling industrial pipes provide glimpses of a digital light artwork, which sets the scene for the rest of the interior.

A passageway leading towards the bar features dim and subdued lighting that evokes "a clandestine abandoned industrial landscape", according to LightOrigin Studio.

Bespoke rotating lights resembling surveillance cameras add another futuristic detail to the corridor, which is lined with three-dimensional acoustic tiles that help to filter out noise from the food hall.

In the main bar, NCDA used fibreglass to create organic shapes including curved arches and sculptural rib-like elements, intended to recall the construction of subterranean cisterns.

A mirrored wall and ceiling create the illusion of a much larger space, accentuated by the repetition of the horizontal fibreglass beams and strategically placed lights that provide soft, indirect illumination.

"Inspired by interior design's theme of rhythmic patterns of underground cisterns, our lighting inspiration is drawn from the cisterns' tranquil yet theatrical lighting atmosphere and ethereal ambience," LightOrigin Studio said.

The arches curve down from the ceiling to envelop the seating booths, each featuring a table light with a shade that directs light downwards to enhance the intimate feel, while soft linear lighting under the seats creates a dramatic runway effect.

Most of the lighting fixtures were incorporated into architectural elements or joinery due to the limited space available above the false ceiling.

A circular skylight above the serving area provides a captivating centrepiece that is carefully programmed to provide the necessary brightness without discomforting customers.

The indirect lighting also highlights the various textured surfaces and contributes to a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in the main bar and a private room.

Other projects that have been shortlisted in the architectural lighting category of the 2024 Dezeen Awards include a Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York City featuring illuminated arches with rippled glass surfaces that resemble bubbling oil in a deep-fat fryer.

The photography is by Common Studio.

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