Inner Garden Hotpot (Tianfu Joy City)

Eastern garden journey for hotpot dining.

A Chengdu hotpot restaurant recasts waiting and dining as a serene, walkable garden, blending crafted bamboo, filtered light and smart privacy pockets to elevate comfort and service.

Inner Garden Hotpot (Tianfu Joy City) reframes hotpot dining as a calm, walkable garden, orchestrating movement, waiting and conversation with unusual care. The team sacrificed floor area to create a generous, garden-like lounge and engineered interlocking table pockets that feel private within an open plan. An accessible route and crafted bamboo counters underscore a commitment to inclusive, tactile hospitality.

Judges highlighted the bold spatial strategy and material coherence. A bamboo lattice filters harsh western light by day and emits a welcoming glow at night, tying interior and facade. Controlled lighting, timber with dark grey tones, and mirrored ceilings extend sightlines while managing acoustics. The sequence of hide-and-reveal, reflective planes and screens promotes both conviviality and discretion, turning constraints into character.

Feedback also called for restraint. The mirrored ceiling and continuous lattice ribbon were felt by some to add visual weight, and parts of the waiting zone read as hard rather than inviting; refinement could heighten comfort and clarity. Even so, the project was praised as "well-executed." and a poetic take on the hotpot ritual, with material craft that resonates with Chengdu's food culture.

The judges said: “This restaurant elevates dining into an experiential journey, reframing the space as an Eastern garden of wandering and discovery. It uses bold spatial gestures to turn constraints into poetic design features.”