A casual fine-dining restaurant centred around chef Jeong Kwan: a Buddhist monk who has become internationally recognized for her creative, plant-based dishes.

The design challenge was to create a humble, welcoming place to eat, which promotes mindfulness while doing so; A restaurant that incorporates Buddhist principals, and inherently embraces nature’s process.

The design solution, which avoids ego in a typically ostentatious dining environment, was to inject natural visual-landmarks through the use of water, foliage, and light. Materiality is pared back and the colour palette takes cue from the food itself.

Sulli Daero is located in Arthur Erikson’s Waterfall Building; a 3600 square foot floor plate with a 45 degree angled glass wall at the entry.

The space plan became about the journey of water through the space, with a waterfall on the back entry wall, a flooring change leads the eye across a bridge and into another section of the restaurant with tables “floating” on open water.

Silk trees hang above banquette seating in the left dining area; scattered lights hang down in this area, honouring the Buddhist light ceremony, which is meant to purify oneself.

The circular booths were inspired by Jeong Kwan’s famous “Enlightenment Tea,” which is made by slowly and carefully drawing out the petals of a lotus, leaving a lightly floral brew.

The existing concrete shell was kept with sustainability and cost in mind; the floor in the right dining room is raised 8” to make way for open water below, giving the pods a floating effect.

The washroom features a communal trough sink carved out of soapstone; a little nod to the buddhist principal of group needs being more important than the needs of an individual.