Ortensia is a spectacular French-Japanese mixed Parisian restaurant in Shanghai. The Chris Shao Studio was the mind behind its beautiful interior, and in this feature, we examine some of the clever design features that make it such an alluring space.
At Ortensia, the Chris Shao Studio has cleverly combined Parisian sentiment, Japanese sophistication, a unique Shanghai charm based on the foundational elements of the hydrangea (“Hortensia”), and the distinctive traits of Shikumen architecture, and the result is a quite beautiful restaurant.
Hydrangeas are one of the key elements of this extraordinary space and are one of the first things you’ll see. They are very evident in the greenery and on the small Shikumen patio.
The flower theme reverberates throughout the restaurant; the entrance desk is a skeleton bud, ornate metal flowers embellish the panels, and open petals grow on a nearby wall.
The central flower installation, in a curved form, is a combination of the feminine and masculine. As expected, it is inspired by the hydrangea and is the visual focal point of the space.
The spacious VIP room’s gradient high-gloss paint, combined with fabric gradient light fixtures, creates a shimmering effect, providing a visual hierarchy and making the overall space more dynamic and balanced.
The lighting temperature is mellow throughout and trickles down from overhead floral light installations, leaving shadows on the velvet walls.
A bronze-etched mirror commissioned by Charlotte Kingsnorth hangs behind the card table. Around its edge, a hand treatment evokes the hydrangea and visually presents a rumination on the transition of space and time through intricate textures and reductions.
Bright colours and intriguing textures are splashed among the palette shades of yellow, green, red, and brown. A visually nuanced and distinguished dining experience is rendered in delicate details and rich layers, all synchronising the natural beauty of the Hydrangea, Shanghai’s rich cultural charm, without losing the understated elegance Japan does so well.
About Chris Shao
Chris graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign and Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris with a double undergraduate degree in International Business and Marketing. In 2015, with a non-professional background, he was admitted to the New York School of Interior Design, one of the US’s best interior design master programs.
“I am not only an interior designer but also a storyteller,” said Chris, who was named 30 Elite Under 30 by Forbes in 2020.
While pursuing a Master of Fine Arts, Chris, with his impressive design proposal, received his first major commission to design the interiors of a multi-family project at 111 Varick Street in the cosmopolitan neighbourhood of SoHo.
Since then, he has participated in several large real estate developments in Brooklyn and the Upper West Side of New York. In 2019, Chris opened a second design studio in China, Chris Shao Studio (Shanghai) LLC. At the same time, he undertook multiple high-end projects, including Tomson and Cuihu.
At the beginning of 2020, he established Ruiwu Furniture Design (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, also known as OBJECTIVE. This company created a series of high-quality art exhibitions, contributing valuable cultural and art content to the Chinese art market.
In 2020, Chris established the Banks catering brand, expanding his presence in lifestyle and culture and injecting his vision into Shanghai and the national market.