Dalloyau: 
Yabu Pushelberg

The entrance to the first Dalloyau location in Hong Kong is captivatingly dramatic. Visitors are greeted by a custom multi-dimensional golden gate measuring 3m high by 4.7m wide. Devised from an 1802 hand-drawn map of Paris, the year in which the first Dalloyau shop opened in that city, the gate acts as a nod to the history of the brand. It also sets the tone for the experience within and provides an instantly recognisable, impactful first impression. Crafted in three layers of brass forms, the negative space becomes the streets and pathways of Paris. When open, the reflective pattern stands in striking contrast against the white marble façade of the store.

In the café, a gracious mural wraps the perimeter of the room. Hand-painted on canvas in a watercolour style, mottled red and pink roses are accented with youthful, tattoo-like line-work. Sections of chainmail curtain create a sense of depth as hammered brass rods anchored from the floor add architectural definition; the conceptual cage-like effect is reminiscent of a modern garden greenhouse.

A monolithic, curved bar in matte dark grey marble with red veining stands in contrast with sky blue upholstered banquettes and soft, rounded stools. At the far end of the room, French doors leading to the adjoined dining room are detailed with a gold-leaf pattern visually linking them back to the massive gold gate at the entrance to Dalloyau Hong Kong.

The overall Dalloyau Hong Kong is compartmentalised into four zones, the shop, café, dining room and garden, each distinctive in colour and theme. Richly detailed and textural, the design takes subtle cues from the French provenance of the brand. Bespoke finishes, distinctive materiality and custom furnishings together form the environment’s unique signature.

Darker, moodier and more intimate feeling, the fine dining room elicits a more romantic tone. Each surface is carefully detailed, from the fumed-oak rose-patterned ceiling, custom furnishings, plum glass and mahogany wine cellar, to mirrored walls and hand-painted murals. Opposite a full wall of windows leading to the outdoor garden, curved booths flank the wine cellar. Each compartment’s walls are adorned with chiaroscuro murals of mysterious, whimsical forest scenes in rich, vivid blues, browns, greens and hints of red, punctuated with gold. Adjacent walls are clad in black glass inset with gold metal mesh.

Views out to the garden and the Hong Kong harbour beyond are framed by flowing curtains and mirror laminated with gold metal mesh. The contrast of light and dark materials and finishes is punctuated with vintage decorative wall sconces, gifted by the designers.

In the private dining room, walls are wrapped in back-lit laser-cut metal panels designed to mimic traditional moulding. Suspended above the custom dining table is a pair of sculptural hand-formed woven wire nest-like pendants.

Sculpted and modern, the custom furniture collection for Dalloyau references classic French Colonial styling. Softly rounded edges on banquettes are mimicked in the silhouettes of dining chairs as well as upholstered stools in the café. Gentle curves are juxtaposed against linear geometric form; a recurrent hexagonal shape is found in table and dining chair bases, purse stools and custom wine buckets, in either blackened steel or brushed brass. Reflective glass, lacquer and metal are moderated with rich custom fabrics.