Seattle-based firm SkB Architects has refreshed the 20-year-old Southeast Asian restaurant Wild Ginger in the Lincoln Square section of Bellevue, Washington.
Spread across 6,000 square feet, the revamped eatery has been opened to the sidewalk to promote the activity within. The lounge and bar area have been moved closer to the front of the house, which welcomes guests via a teak-shuttered vestibule. The luminescent bar and lounge is appointed with comfortable seating configurations including leather benches and rattan easy chairs. The curved bar appears as if it were carved from a large block of natural plaster. The interior is finished in silver leaf squares, while the bar is topped with polished teak and clad with a geometrically inspired tile motif on its face. Custom light fixtures overhead recall traditional woven fishing baskets.
The dining room features slatted teak screens that partition each cozy booth, complementing a single row of tables that stretch across the heart of the restaurant. Polished concrete floors are punctuated by abstracted oriental rugs. In addition to lantern-like lighting, teak wood coffering, and woven light shades, large murals inspired by aged oriental carpeting adorn the concrete walls. A pavilion-like area at the rear of the restaurant completes the dining area, while sliding wood screens enable the space to transform into a private dining room.
