LAYERED MOONLIGHT ANIMATES an INTERIOR of SHIFTING REFLECTIONS
Located in Xi’an, MC bar is conceived as a retreat detached from the rhythm of the city, offering a slower and more introspective mode of urban life. Drawing on the imagery of ‘tasting malt between cliffs under the moonlight’, the project brings together space, light, and material to construct an atmospheric experience that oscillates between reality and imagination. A series of circular pendant lights forms the most recognizable feature of the interior, their geometry evoking the crescent moon. Each fixture varies in thickness and reflectivity, producing a layered lighting effect that is both bright and soft. As visitors move through the space, the pendants gently sway, reinforcing a sense of spatial fluidity. In contrast, circular mirrors mounted on the walls suggest the full moon. The interplay between crescent and full moon disrupts the linear perception of time, allowing the space to be experienced more as a sensory condition than a fixed environment.
overhead lights, curved walls, and the bar define the space | all images courtesy of Xi’an School Studio
CURVED WALLS CARVE A SEQUENCE THAT DETACHES FROM THE CITY
The enclosure is defined by continuous curved walls derived from an abstract translation of mountainous topographies. These undulating surfaces not only generate rich light and shadow but also organize a layered spatial sequence across both visual and physical movement. At the entrance in particular, the folded walls create a meandering path that gradually detaches visitors from the urban context, transitioning them into a more introspective and secluded interior world. The bar counter acts as the central focal point of the space. While continuing the overall curvilinear language, it introduces a higher level of geometric refinement and complexity. Its primary material, a 3D printed composite made from recycled wheat straw, both reinforces the narrative of malt and transforms agricultural waste into a sustainable architectural resource. Through this process of reuse, the material is redefined in both structural and aesthetic terms, producing distinctive textures and light effects that set the bar apart while maintaining coherence with the overall space. Here, the designers at Xi’an School Studio utilize material not only as a means of construction but also as a narrative of circularity and regeneration.
the bar anchors the space, backed by a dense display of bottles
A GRADIENT OF TONES AND MATERIALS FOCUSES ATTENTION INWARD
Across the interior, ceiling, walls, and floor are differentiated through variations in tone and material. A dark grey ceiling forms a compressed upper boundary, lighter walls enhance the sense of enclosure, and a slightly darker terrazzo floor provides a stable base. This vertical gradient of brightness draws light toward the center of the space, guiding attention back to the immediacy of drinking, conversation, and shared presence. Through the metaphor of lunar phases, the translation of topographic forms, and a material narrative rooted in sustainability, MC bar constructs an experience that departs from conventional temporal order, transforming a moment within Xi’an City into an immersive journey of perception, rhythm, and atmosphere.
a central stage is subtly integrated into the space
circular lighting is paired with circular mirrors
a more intimate dining area is gently enclosed
lighting shapes a warm, subdued atmosphere
mirrors extend the space through infinite reflections
ring-shaped lighting appears as crescent forms
ring-shaped lighting gently sways with air currents
lighting highlights textures along the bar’s curved form
ring-shaped lighting during installation
the bar backdrop is fabricated from a 3D printed composite using recycled wheat straw
project info:
name: MC bar
architect: Xi’an School Studio
design team: Ying Wang, Quan Yu, Wanling Wu, Jingya Shen, Yuanbo Jia, Zhijun Lei
location: Xi’an, China
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
The post crescent lights and mirrored moons carve a slow-paced retreat inside xi’an bar appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.