Operating in Istanbul since 1987, Dragon is an acclaimed Chinese restaurant newly opened at their new location in Bebek, İstanbul. Design firm GEO_ID was commissioned to refresh and modernise the interiors, keeping intact the Chinese culture and its exotic feeling of the restaurant.

The qualities of space played a decisive role in design; plan scheme, low ceilings and the view. Light colours are chosen revealing an identity of an authentic Chinese restaurant since darker colours are typical selection in most examples. A palette of beige tones line the restaurant interiors and compensates the flatness caused by the low ceiling while benefiting the view while space is located only meters distance to Bosphorus waters.
Custom-designed tables and chairs are spread across space and are overlooking Bosphorus through restaurant’s generously-glazed facade.

The main seating area features both square and circular tables to accommodate groups with different numbers. An enclosed dining area hidden behind the folding cane with a slightly darker colour sits on the far side and provides intimacy and exclusivity. Intimacy and exclusivity are also highlighted by wooden dragons carved and coated with pearls on the hazeran separators between lodges in the main dining area.

All three lodges are facing a buddha sculpture before the view to bring positive energy and serene ambience as a calm element. While the lighting of the seperators and sculptures had warm LED colours, lodge seating are greeted by metal and silk pendants illuminating space through glass tubes. A geometric pattern design leads the eye upwards; a wooden suspended ceiling is an abstract interpretation of China’s art-deco era movement merged with traditional Chinese motifs. Custom graphics were developed and weaved on textile wall panels; visitors can enjoy reading the Four Seasons in the bar and poems about the Dragon in the private dining area. Although has a long history in craftmanship, Turkey does not have much variety in furniture design; yet, every fixture is custom designed from scratch to the smallest detail for the project and manufactured in Turkey.

Tuğçe Rizeli, founding partner, GEO_ID, commented: “Chinese is one of the most popular cuisines worldwide, and restaurants serving the food showcase vast variety of interiors ranging from traditional to contempo-rary. Yet in Turkey a project like Dragon does not come very often and we were absolutely thrilled to work on the project since as designers it is a chance to explore something truly unique.”